At Freedom's Expense
by Iliya Moroumetz
Summary: Chapter 17: Even alone, there are those looking out for you.
1. Narrow Streets of Cobblestone

Circa: 2183, March 

As thunder continued to boom in the sky, two travelers in trench coats waded through the rain on the sidewalk. The smaller of the two shuddered at the noise, yet continued to press on with her companion.

The streets they walked on were the first of the cities to be rebuilt after the end of the Crusades. Cobblestone covered the streets, very much like many European cities before the wars, giving it the same archaic and humble look the residential areas of Paris once had.

The taller of the two looked to the houses lining the streets and scanned the addresses. As with the streets, the style of the housing hadn't changed. In fact, if one was old enough, it would look no different than if it were in the twentieth century. The man figured the architects still desired days they were never born to and vainly attempted a reproduction of the pre-Crusades style. Though the rain had made seeing a bit hard, he could still make out the numbers of each individual home.

"Are we almost there?" the girl asked, trying to keep up.

"Just about," the man replied, "the Boy Scout doesn't like moving around a lot, so his address should be the same as it's been for a while."

The girl nodded and increased her pace to keep up with her companion as the rain hit her hood harder. The light from the magic powered street lamps was flickering, much to her dismay, for she did not have the enhanced eyesight of her guide.

"I'm wondering... you don't like him at all, so why are you taking me to him?" she asked as they ran beneath an alcove to where their quarry lived.

"Because," the man said, pulling back his own hood to let his dark brown ponytail hang over his back, "despite the beef we got with each other, he's one of the few people I know that can be trusted."

She said nothing as she followed him up the stairs. The rain was still not letting up and the continuous crack of thunder was putting her ill at ease.

"But, how do you trust him?"

The man smirked when he was about to knock on the door. "Because he hates me."

---

With a sign, Ky Kiske lit another candle in his modestly decorated home. The power had been out for well over an hour and it didn't look like it was coming on any time soon, so he brought out some old candles the previous tenant had kept for such an emergency.

Electrical power was handled in a manner resembling the old electrical circuits from the time before Magic was discovered. The only major difference being the source of the electricity itself. Using electricity from its purest source, the elements, had provided it as much more efficient than burning ridiculous amounts of coal,  
oil, and so forth. However, not even the advent of magic had prevented the occasional black-out whenever a storm broke out.

Blowing out the match, he slowly eased himself into the chair at his desk and took a brief glance over the reports from the Central IPF office in London. Not taking his eyes off the report, he slowly sipped some tea while skimming over the words.

Putting the cup back on the table gently, his eyes stopped at a report coming from the offices near Tuubingen, Germany. Apparently, there had been an airship, falling through the sky and into the forests south of the city. There appeared to be no survivors to be found and what remained of the airship was being identified to find a match.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember if there were any Zepp craft reported in that area. From past reports, they often gathered in the area near the old U.S.S.R. border, since many of the citizens of Zepp were of Russian descent.

Then again, it could have been air pirates. President Gabriel had informed him, through Potemkin, that it was a common occurrence for Zepp to hunt down such people since their technology was a primary target for looters. It was a little source of information he decided to keep to himself since the Chief of Police would not be happy if he were to discover that Ky had been in contact with the president of Zepp.

A knock on his door brought him out of his reprieve. Standing up, he took on the candle ladles and wondered who would be coming to his house at this time of night, in the middle of a storm no less.

"Hello?" he said through the door.

"Hey, Boy Scout. Open up, it's me," a gruff and boorish voice said on the other side.

Ky frowned and opened the door. "Might I inquire as to why you're here, Sol?"

"No time for small-talk, Jr. We got a problem," Sol grumbled, pushing himself inside past Ky.

Ky stepped in front of Sol, preventing any further movement from the bounty hunter and drawing a scowl from him.

"Not only is your etiquette lacking, Sol, your grammar leaves much to be desired as well," Ky stated boldly, "who is this 'we' you're talking about when I see only you?"

Ky held his ground, despite Sol's deep-throated growl and the vicious grip on his collar. "By 'we', Jr.," he snorted with derision in his tone, "I mean all of us. You, me, and the kid here."

Blinking, Ky looked over Sol's shoulder to see a young woman, covered with a heavy trench coat and hood to hide her face. The shadows on her hood prevented him from seeing the upper portion of her head.

"And you are?" Ky asked curtly as he forcefully removed himself from Sol's grip.

The girl looked to Sol, as though seeking his approval. Ky wondered what it meant as Sol nodded and the girl pulled back her hood to let loose a stream of azure colored hair cascading around her pale face and apparent reddish-bronze eyes.

"Dizzy?" he said in surprise.

The thought-dead Gear/human Hybrid nodded once. There was a bandage around her forehead and various patches of dirt on her cheeks gave the impression of hard times. He now had to admit whatever Sol had to say was worth listening to as he ushered her in and closed the door.

"So..." Ky replied, somewhat humbled at the revelation, "what was this you wanted to speak to me about?"

Sol nodded. "Like I said, a big problem. But first, I need to make a search..."

"Search for what?" Ky asked as he followed Sol into his living room.

"Bugs, hidden cameras, mikes, that sort of thing." He took a quick scan of the room before turning back to Dizzy.

"You hear anything?"

The Gear stepped passed Ky slowly before walking into the living room. Her hand raised and pointed at his grandfather clock. "I can hear one in there," she whispered.

Opening the door, the bounty hunter reached in for a moment, and pulled out what appeared to be a small transceiver and promptly crushed it with his hand.

Sol turned to Dizzy. "Did you find any others?"

The hybrid shook her head. "I would have heard the signals if there were."

Sol smirked, took Ky's hand, and dumped the remains of the hidden hearing device in it. "You're getting sloppy, kid. Justice would have won against you guys if I hadn't kept on finding these things for you."

Frowning back at Sol, Ky grumbled, "Yes, but that doesn't explain who put that there?"

Dizzy spoke up timidly, "The Bureau."

Turning to Dizzy, a single frightening possibility entered his mind. "The Post War Administration Bureau?"

"Yep," Sol muttered as he proceeded to blow out all the candles in the adjacent rooms.

"Sol what's the meaning of this? I don't under..."

"Just sit down and shut the hell up! I said I'd explain it to you, didn't I?" Sol snarled as he blew out the last candle.

Feeling his way through the dark, Ky would have placed himself in his chair had Sol grabbed him by the collar once more and shoved him onto the sofa. He sent a poisonous glare towards Sol as he took Ky's chair, a cigarette, and lighter from his pocket before the Bounty Hunter began.

"Ok... first things first... do you know how long the Bureau has been around?" he said as he placed the 'cancer stick' in his mouth and lit it.

"Roughly a decade, hasn't it?" he said with another disapproving frown at Sol.

"Wrong. They've been around since before the Crusades, only under a different name."

"But..."

"Shut up, I'm not done yet. Eventually, Justice got whacked and every thing's all hunky dory. Or at least, that's what they want people to think. They can start to work on more important things."

"I assume you mean the Robotic versions of me?"

"Good. There may be hope for you after all. Anyway, you and I know for a fact that those Robo Kys we've seen are just a sampling for something larger. Now, because of them, the Jellyfish pirates are most likely dead. She was the only one I found."

Ky held back a gasped and turned to the outline of Dizzy, looking down in shame.

"What happened?"

After a sniff, Dizzy replied quietly. "We were planning to land for some supplies in the city. However, when we entered German airspace, we were suddenly boarded and surrounded by hundreds of those robots."

Ky could tell that she was beginning to cry as she continued, "I tried to stop them... tried to get the others to the escape pods... but before what any of us knew, they had blown the engines and opened fire from other ships. Johnny... he was able to get me to a lifeboat and he was going to find May... but then, the ship blew up... and... and..." she could talk no more as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Turning back to Sol, Ky asked, "but why the Jellyfish pirates?"

Sol shrugged as he took another drag. "Either because the Pirates had some kind of information on them or they resisted. Anyway, I heard the crash and found her there. Spent the last few days healing her wounds and brought her here."

"But why me?"

"I know I can trust you to take care of her, you punk!"

Ky took a long minute to look at Sol's outline and then back to Dizzy's. Her sobbing had calmed by now and she was listening in,  
waiting for something.

With a sigh, Ky then whispered, "Very well. I'll take care of her for as long as I can. But you know something, Sol?"

"Hm?"

"You assume a lot. I always hated you for that."

Even in the darkness, Ky could tell Sol was smirking. "No, you hated me because I was always right when it came to you."

Ky held back a growl of his own and continued, "So then. What shall be done about the PWAB? And what about Dizzy? If they know she survived, then you could have led them here."

"Maybe. In that case, I need you to go about your business and be prepared to high tail it out of town with her at the first sign of trouble. They don't take any chances and will eliminate you if needs be. And before you deny it, trust me, they have ways. They are a lot more dangerous than you think."

As Sol stood up and headed for the door, Ky followed suit. "And what about you? You planning on hiding from them?"

To his and Dizzy's surprise, Sol started chuckling.

"Kid... I've been around longer than you'll ever know... believe me. These guys may be dangerous, but they're not invincible. I got plans of my own to take care of. In the meantime, be a good boy and baby sit for me."

Ky was about to protest Sol's answer when the door shut and the man left mid the cover of a thunder boom. With a frown, Ky locked the door, resisting the temptation to grab the Thunder Seal and demand a duel. His inability to defeat the bounty hunter be damned, he would continue to fight Sol until he could fight no more.

"You must really hate him," Dizzy said timidly from behind.

Turning around, he noticed her outline sitting against the wall in a curled up position.

"Yes... I do. He's mocked everything I've believed in or stood for. Every time we meet he acts as though I was never there." he said with a frown.

The half gear looked down in concentration, then nodded, coming to a conclusion. "I can see why he trusts you so much."

Ky was surprised to hear such a remark. "Sol?"

She nodded, as though it was common knowledge.

"How do you figure?" he asked.

"Well, you seem so determine to outdo him, something like this seems a step closer to achieving that."

He turned back to the door, wondering if he could ever begin to understand Sol, irritating as the Bounty Hunter was.

The policeman took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. Any more agonizing over Sol's superiority was going to give him a premature heart attack. Besides, he had a guest to attend to. She still looked at him like a child waiting for an adult to clarify.

It was a struggle. They very sight of her brought back images of Justice, herself. Through the metal of her mask, Ky remembered the anger and hatred that empowered her.

It was almost instinct for him to reach for the Thunder Seal whenever the word or even subject of Gears was breached. Every day of his life, he had heard the same thing.

Gears were evil.

Gears were bad.

Gears hate humans.

Gears kill humans.

That was practically a chant the human race cried while the Crusades raged onward. The Gears replaced the Devil and Hell as the most feared thing in the human consciousness. Parents would even warn their children that the Gears would get them if they didn't eat their vegetables, cleaned their room, and so on. The hatred with Gears became an obsession to the human race. He was no exception.

With what little light he had the in the room, he could see her look up to him. He knew she was scared of him still. He didn't want to say it, but he was probably more scared of her than she was of him. He had seen her display her nearly uncontrollable power and the destructive results.

On her side of things, she could probably smell the blood of the countless Gears he had slain in the name of Humanity. Though with the body and mind of a twenty-one year adult, she still had the child-like instinct of a four-year-old child. Scared and frightened of the things beyond her control and without the experience of people his own age.

Noticing that their eyes had locked for more than a minute he turned away and said, "If you'd like, you can use my bed."

She gasped and stood up. "Oh, but I couldn't."

He held up a hand to silence her. "Please. Though unexpected, you are still my guest."

The lights then flickered on and he blinked upon realizing that underneath the coat, her uniform from the Pirates was dirty and torn.  
With parts of her body he could see, was muddy and not well kept. It appeared that the past week had been harder on her than he expected.

Turning to the bathroom, he said, "I'll draw a bath for you. There'll be a change of clothes for you when you're done."

He turned back to her and expected her to protest. However, seeing the look in his eyes silenced her and she nodded once more.

"Mr. Kiske..."

He was stepping into the bathroom when he heard her call him.

"Yes?"

She wiped away the drying tears and smiled a bit. "Thank you."

He wanted to smile back and tell her to think nothing of it. However, the previous years of unintentional hatred for Gears only got a nod out of him. He didn't turn back to her as he stepped inside the bathroom and activated the faucet.

Within seconds, the tub was beginning to fill and as he leaned over the edge to plug the hole, he noticed his Lanchester silver cross,  
laced with gold, hanging over the water.

It was more than just a symbol of his faith. It represented the life he had chosen. Just glancing at that small item caused his voice to recite an oft-quoted scripture to settle disputes amongst the Holy Order when it was still in existence.

"And I say unto you," he whispered to himself, "the Second Commandment is like unto the First: Thou Shalt Love thy Neighbor as thyself. Do this and thou shalt live."

He sighed internally and asked rhetorically, "And who is my neighbor?"

An answer wasn't needed as he stopped the water flowing, stood up,  
and walked out of the bathroom.

End of chapter one

First things first: All things GG belong to Sammy, Daisuke Ishiwatari (strange man, but wouldn't have GG without him), and ARC studios.

Second; Sol Badguy Dig me! Awesome beyond words Solid Snake/Bono from U2/Spike Spiegal. In short, Sol Badguy's Awesome.

Third; for those wondering if the story's gonna get preachy, no worries. I may be a lovable zealot, but even I have my limits. And,  
if my writing ability's up to snuff, it will always be in context. After all, Ky wouldn't be Ky without his faith.

9/26/04 Edit notes:

In an extremely rare fit of inspiration... if you can call it that, I've decided to change the titles of the chapters after song titles. Semi-related to the story, at best... completely irrelevant at worst. And since my skill as a writer is mediocre, better expect the latter. :p

Next, after reading Zeronova's and Samuraiter's GG fics, which by the way are excellent, I figured that a little more description would have made the story a bit better since the 'show, don't tell' rule can take one only so far.

As per Haitokunohonoo's review, I've cut down on Sol's speeches since it is true that he's not the talkative type. Initially, I wasn't sure about it, but going through another round with the story mode and a few other stories with faithful Sol characterizations proved me wrong.

Zeronova, I got that little mistake you pointed out in the review and adjusted Ky's attitude accordingly.

Next; I realize to my embarrassment that I've forgotten the most important aspect of Ky's character. His obsession with defeating Sol. Reading a few more stories with that made me realize how important that is. And with any luck, and a little help from Providence, I just may be able to pull it off. Miracles happen, ya know. :)

Finally, I now realize that some explanation is needed for the whole 'Dizzy can hear the transmission' deal. There's evidence to suggest that radios are still in use at this time and since they're most likely powered by magic, they should have given off a trace of magic that she would have most likely detected. All those dazed and confused, say 'I' with me. :p


	2. Persephone

Dizzy winced as she lowered herself slowly into the warm water of the tub. A few cuts she had sustained in the crash of the Mayship had yet to heal. As strong as her power was, her body could not take the sort of punishment that other Gears were meant to endure. From what little Testament had told her of his past, their wounds healed instantaneously due to the sheer amount of magic in their genes.

Dizzy, on the other hand, was bereft of the automatic healing. Her body had inherited the natural healing ability of human beings. Which was slow and quite limited. However, with a little help from her power, she could restore herself, but it was extremely draining and difficult to accomplish. And there were even times when even her guardians had to take care of it.

"He does not trust us," Undine whispered from a corner of her mind.

Both her wings and tail were retracted, allowing her to enjoy the little extra space she had as she began to clean her wounds.

Dizzy nodded solemnly and shuddered as fresh pain raced up her arm as the warm water touched the bandage and the cut underneath. It would close up soon, and even be tougher than before, but until then, it would be overly sensitive.

"I can understand that," she replied mentally.

"However, you must admit that he is not as suspicious as he was the time we first met," the feminine guardian added.

She nodded again and recalled the initial meeting.

---

There was no sound being made, save for the occasional bird, rustle of the leaves in the wind, or the sound of her own breathing. The sun was shining through the cracks in the forest roof, giving the glade an almost sacred air to it. This was her home and it had been for the past while. There was only her, the animals, and Testament.

However, that quiet had been broken often recently because of bounty hunters. She had felt the disturbance at the edge of the forest and hid herself behind a tree.

She felt a presence, proceeding cautiously through the glade. Whoever it was had somehow gotten past Testament, which worried her. She peeked around the side, hoping to get a good glance at the newcomer.

It was a young man. Roughly Dizzy's age in appearance, if not a little older. He was dressed in white, trimmed in blue and black. The uniform was familiar to her eyes, but she couldn't place where. His posture spoke of confidence and his gaze was wary, like a skilled hunter. Yet, that wasn't what worried the half-Gear most.

The stench of Gear blood, though faded and sheathed, was still noticeable on his sword. He had to have been one of those Holy Knights... just like her father back in the village. Only this one was younger, more aggressive looking by his stance. Also, the weapon he used was much more threatening.

With every incoming step, her heart beat faster. Was he coming for her? Was he going to kill her? She didn't want to hurt anyone. She made sure to hold back her power when the bounty hunters came. She knew they would live and yet, she hoped they would just leave her alone.

Her darker guardian began to stir as the Holy Knight stepped on a twig right behind the tree. With an inhuman growl, Necro emerged, pulled out an ax from his hand and aimed it at the young man's neck.

"Nerco! No!" she screamed and leaped backward, leaving the weapon embedded in the tree. The Holy Knight hopped in reverse, almost as if he expected the attack, skillfully dodged the blade that would have cut into his face, and drew his weapon.

She forced Necro back into his dormant state and looked up to see the intruder stop in his tracks at the sight of her. Her fear made her control of her darker guardian difficult as she stumbled back to her feet.

"I don't know who you are... but please... leave here."

The young man seemed shocked as he spoke, "You... you're the Gear everyone's been talking about?"

Hoping that words would deter him from his supposed endeavor, she nodded. "I've been living here for a while. I left my home so I wouldn't hurt anyone. All I want is to live here quietly."

The Knight seemed hesitant, almost torn between lifting his sword once more or putting it back into its sheath. She could tell that he was not the same as the bounty hunters that had attempted to trade her in for some reward.

"Why are you here?" she asked carefully.

The man said evenly, if not slightly defensively; "I was ordered to come and determine if the rumored Commander Gear was a threat."

She had a bad feeling where this was going as she pressed, "and if it was?"

The young man, closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, "then I have to eliminate it."

Her copper colored eyes locked with his sky blue as he resumed his professional demeanor. She could see the predator lying beneath the surface, waiting to strike. Death was nothing new to this one. He had seen more than his fair share and yet, seemed not to be bothered by it.

However, there was something else there besides the beast. He seemed far more human than any other person she had known, besides her parents. There was doubt of his mission in his eyes. With any hope, her next question could avert what could be a large mistake.

"Am I a threat?"

For a second, the beast in his eyes retreated and the boy within emerged. However, the frown returned and he said without hesitancy as he raised his sword. "I'm sorry."

She gasped and said desperately, "Please... I don't want it to be like this."

He readied his stance and answered without blinking, "Nor do I, but I am afraid it will end up as such."

Her arms fell to her side as she looked to the ground in sorrow. "Is there no recourse for me?"

Almost angered by his words, he replied more tersely than he would have preferred, "Those who cannot fight will no find such reprieve. And as such your very existance is a threat."

She sighed and closed her eyes. It was no different. All these humans want is either her skin or her death. All the resentment built up from all the encounters with the bounty hunters returned and as she opened her eyes. This one was no different than the rest to her. In a flash of light, her dress vanished, leaving the black leather body suit, and her wings and tail exposed. She would drive this one off, allowing him to lick his wounds... just like the others.

Knowing that both reached a consensus, they charged.

-

Having backed Dizzy against a tree, Ky now held his blade against the sword that the half-Gear had created with the darker wing. Both were exhausted from the extensive fighting and Ky was increasing his advantage. Ky grit his teeth and pushed his weapon further, knowing that the end was drawing closer.

Try as Dizzy might, her arms were not strong enough to push away the Thunderseal with her Michael Sword. The other edge of her blade was drawing nearer to her unprotected collarbone and the second she let go, she was done for. A frightening thought came to mind.

She was going to perish.

As the blade drew nearer, tears started to flow from her eyes. She had never found herself so close to oblivion and the pain from the injuries she sustained from the Thunderseal made her mortality more evident. Though her foe had taken a few blows, she had been on the receiving end of several cuts on her legs and arms from near misses. As their battle drew on longer, her strength waned faster.

"I..." she started between breaths. In fear she had never known before, she screamed, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"

The wail shattered Ky's concentration. The scream was something he had heard mutliple times in the past. Deceased comrades, fellow soldiers, civilians. There was no difference between them to Ky. He had heard it in various tones, dynamics, and tempo, but the intensity was always the same. Quickly, he backed away, giving himself ample distance between himself and Dizzy.

He looked to the Commander-Gears wounds and then to his hands, a look of pure horror on his face. Almost as if he had become everything he had once feared and hated.

In confusion she watched his sudden retreat and wondered what was to happen next. She wondered what had happened when he had fallen to his knees and said horsely. The guilt was evident in his voice as he pushed the words out.

"Please, forgive me. I've done you a great wrong. I didn't wish to believe it, but it's true."

"What do you mean?"

"I read all the reports. Everytime someone was hurt, it was because they were trying to hunt you. Never once have you tried hurting people... you were defending yourself. And that made me no better than the others."

She leaned against the tree to give herself some support as she stood. "Are you still going to..."

"No." He interrupted, visibly disgusted with himself for even thinking of completing his mission. "All I can do is leave and inform my superiors that the information was incorrect. As far as I can see... there is no threat of a Commander-Gear here." With that, he sheathed his sword and walked to the exit.

Confused as to his sudden change of mind, she asked after him, "But why are you doing this?"

He turned and said calmly, with a tone of finality, "In front of the innocent, I will be a shield to protect and a rock to support. That is the oath I took when I joined the Holy Order. I will not break my vow by killing an innocent."

She remained silent as he exited the forest as quietly as he entered. Perhaps, she mused quietly, he was not like the others after all.

---

"We were most fortunate that it was him," Undine continued.

"Yes... but we're in his care now... I don't know what to think." Dizzy was exhausted from the trip on foot and the emotional weight of losing her friends.

"You seem to be awfully quiet lately, Necro," Undine said, "Where's the homicidal rhetoric we're used to?"

Dizzy's darker guardian gave no indication of offense as his voice slowly emerged in Dizzy's mind. "There's no point... and upon reflection, I realize that even if Dizzy had not leaped back, he would have either dodged or blocked my strike."

"And your point?" Undine pressed.

Necro seemed reluctant to answer, but did so nonetheless. "He had the capacity to kill us... like the man in red. But neither one did."

Dizzy could tell Undine was ready to bait him again, but his answer silenced them both. The point he had was not something to be taken lightly. Even if she allowed Necro to take control, the level of skill between herself and Ky was simply too great and she would have been killed. And even his skill was dwarfed by the one called Sol.

It was a most disconcerting thought.

Finishing with the bar of soap, she rinsed off her hands and stepped out. After drying herself off, she noticed the white shirt and knee-length shorts folded by the door. She was silently grateful for Ky's consideration, in spite of the fact she could materialize her black dress any time she wished.

However, it was so long she had practically forgotten how, since the time with the Pirates had kept her quite active. In fact, the greatest thing that Johnny, May, and the rest of them ever gave her was the chance to be happy and be human at the same time.

Stepping out into the hallway leading to the main room, she peeked around the edge to find Ky sitting on his chair, deep in thought. From time to time, his gaze would wander to one of the few pictures he had in his apartment. There was one in particular that was causing him such visible distress, however, from her distance compared to his, the image wasn't clear.

Stepping out, she walked to the edge of the room, expecting to hear something that was evidently bothering him. It far too easy a guess as to the source of his ill ease.

"Mr. Kiske..."

He turned to her a little startled at her sudden appearance. However, he calmed down and bid her to sit on another chair.

"Before we get things settled, are there any questions you have?"

Her mind came up with several almost immediately, however, a good number of them were not as important, so she kept to the vital ones first.

"If I'm living here, I'll have to change my appearance, won't I?"

Her suspicions were confirmed with his nod. "Not many people have hair color as... unique as yours. And if I was in your situation, I'd also get it changed or cut. Your ribbons are a dead giveaway."

She nodded, reached up and undid the two yellow ribbons, keepsakes from her adopted mother, and let her hair down in a clean and even stream of azure. Gathering each ribbon, she carefully rolled them into a single ball and held them dearly. Then she remembered the color of her hair.

"I can purchase some hair dye, if it could help?"

She shook her head, "No need to worry about that." Before he could ask why, she closed her eyes and concentrated the magic through her veins and into her hair. Within seconds, it had changed from the dark blue to a hue of yellow, not far from Ky's own.

She smiled at his astonished gaze.

"How's... how's that possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that my power's growing in small ways. I've used this every time we made landfall to keep myself inconspicuous."

"Is that the only one?" Ky asked a little too suspiciously.

"Be honest, Dizzy... it's most likely our only hope." Undine whispered from the back of her mind.

Her smile faded and she shook her head. "No. When I first noticed that I was able to do something like this, I was also reading a lot faster than before. And I didn't just read the words, I understood and remembered every bit. Not only that, I was able to help Novel clean and repair the engines after only looking at it for a little while. It was working even better after I helped."

Ky's eyes were deadly serious, causing her to almost reel in fear. However, he broke contact and said, "That could be a problem."

Picking up his train of thought, she nodded, "I know. But I have been keeping it under control. About half a year ago, I've been finding it easier to stay calm."

"What happened?"

"I... was fighting a woman in red, with a guitar. During our fight, I lost control and I felt like my power was going to tear me apart.... but someone saved me."

She held her hands up to her collarbone and closed her eyes as the warm sensation of the memory returned.

"It was a man, but I didn't know who it was. He brought me back. When I came to, I was alone, but I could still remember his presence. It was warm... comforting... it reminded me of my parents back in the village I grew up in."

She looked back to him, noticing the enigmatic look on his face. "You're fortunate. Being able to have such pleasant memories, I mean."

She brought her hands back to her lap as she countered softly, "It wasn't all good, though. I left my parents' home when I was only 3."

"So I heard. The villagers I met told me that you were living in that forest, but I couldn't believe their descriptions of you because...."

She looked back to him with a bit of worry. "...because of my Gear side?"

He shook his head, "No. You seemed too human to be a Gear. After I left the forest, the villagers asked me if I had done the deed. They weren't pleased when I told them what happened."

She looked downtrodden once more. "I see..."

"We'll have to get back to that later, in the meantime, I do think there is something that you can do to give you a cover."

She looked up in surprise. "What's that?"

"A question first: Do you like books?"

She nodded happily, all past sorrow forgotten. "I love them! My parents had lots of books and so did the Pirates. Whenever I had a little time to myself, I'd be reading."

A genuine smile appeared on Ky's face when he continued, "Then, if it's not too much trouble, I can either assist in getting you a job as an archivist in either the police station or the library next door."

"Oh, what would I be doing?"

"Well, you'd be taking care of documents, primarily, but it's work that would fit your skills perfectly."

"But... they'd need a name, wouldn't they?"

He nodded once more. "Yes. It would give you a cover that you can work with."

"In that case, I have one."

"And that is?"

"Luveria Mourometz."

"What?"

"It's the name my adopted parents gave me. Dizzy's a nickname that I've used ever since I left home."

Ky's face scrunched as he struggled to remember. "Mourometz... that name sounds familiar..."

She nodded, "He was a member of the Holy Order during the Crusades. Illya Mourometz."

Now she knew that Ky understood whom her father was. Though the man in question had never spoken much of his past position, she did read through stored reports some twenty years ago to the end of the Crusades. Illya the Earthquake he was called in some circles. She had a difficult time imagining her father as a warrior, especially when the most prevalent memories she had of him was being hoist upon his broad shoulders and walking through the forest near her first home. He never had spoken a word to her in anger and had the patience of a rock. Despite all this, she wondered why Illya being her father was of any importance.

"There may be a problem, and there may not be."

"Why?"

"Illya was a man of no small reputation. Though he was nowhere as well known as Kliff, he was certainly no idler during the Crusades. Many wished to join his unit because his men always seemed to survive the battles, no matter how bad they got. In fact, there was quite an uproar when I was recommended by Kilff Undersen to lead the Holy Order instead of Illya."

Her eyebrows raised in confusion, "Why did it?"

He smiled sadly and gestured to himself, "Imagine yourself on the losing side of a century long war. Naturally, you'd expect more experienced soldiers to take up the cause and lead. However, I was only part of the Holy Order for half a year before Kliff retired and promoted me. I was only sixteen at the time and had less battles than the number of fingers on my hands."

Having never known the atmosphere of the Crusades, Dizzy could only wonder at the logic behind the actions. Most of the books she had access to were before the war and in decent condition, despite being nearly two centuries old.

"So. What problem would there be of me using my given name?"

"Well, considering that Illya's never had children that survived the Crusades, some would doubt that you're his daughter. However, it's become quite common for parents who lost children in the war to adopt, so maybe there's a chance you can go unnoticed if you claim to be a war orphan."

"Will the police accept that?"

"Yes. Considering that you would have been roughly entering your teenage years when the Crusades ended. And I could provide the validation that you're... what am I saying?!"

She blinked in surprise at his sudden outburst.

"I don't understand..."

Ky rubbed his hands in his hair and growled in frustration. "I'm supposed to be an officer of the law! Upright and honest in all I do and here I am talking about lying to my superiors!"

"If I may..." Undine said emerging from beneath the hem at the back of her shirt. She could tell Ky still had a difficult time in her presence due to the sentience her wings possessed. "The difference between a truth and a falsehood can be altered easier than you think. Also, you need not tell your superiors everything."

Ky didn't seemed convinced as he folded his arms. "It's still a lie of omission when you withhold the truth."

Almost eager to participate in this duel of wits, Undine answered, "Ah, but is not Dizzy a war orphan? Whomever her parents may be have most likely vanished or died. And she is, in truth, Luveria Moroumetz. I assume her father must have filled out a birth certificate?"

Ky slowly nodded, admitting defeat. "Yes. Ever since the end of the Crusades, the UN instigated an extensive program to keep accurate records of their personnel and civilians that went through with it. Illya must have done it."

Undine smiled pleasantly. "Then, there is no problem. Dizzy's identity remains secret, she is able to move about without being bothered, and since she is in your custody, you would be able to provide enough protection should she be discovered."

She looked between her guardian and Ky a few times as they locked gazes, the latter seriously pondering the information given him.

With a sigh, Ky unfolded his arms and stood up. "Very well. Though it may not last forever, it can work until we find something more permanent."

Undine gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before retracting into her back. She turned back to Ky and noticed his amazed observation.

"How does that work?" he asked in regards to her guardians' ability. It was obvious he was still uncomfortable with the whole concept, but knew he had to deal with it.

Amazing as it was, she could only shrug. "I don't know. It's just there and they sometimes move about of their own will. The only reason I can think of is the Magic my Gear side has."

Running his hand through his hair, Ky sighed once more before continuing. "Well... we have a long day tomorrow. Better get some sleep."

She nodded. Though most of the magic in her veins could allow her to stay awake for a while longer than most humans, the last week of constant travel had taken much out of her. Her reserves of magic were nearly depleted and her exhaustion was catching up with her.

Following her newest guardian, she noticed the picture Ky had taken a glance at. The picture contained a younger Ky and a a woman that led her to believe that could have been her foster mother. Yet, there was something distinct about Ky's mother. Her hair was close to a clean silver color and unnaturally long, longer than hers in fact. Then, there was her eyes. They were a shade of green Dizzy had never seen before. And the gaze the woman held unsettled her.. She would have to ask Ky whom she was at some future time.

She entered the room Ky had indicated and took a last look to him, asking if he truly wanted this. He nodded and walked back to the other room. Feeling a little guilty, she crawled on the single bed and pulled the freshly cleaned covers over herself. She could hear Ky settling in on what sounded like a secondary bed held in either a chair or the couch. She felt a little better knowing that he would be sleeping a little better.

The seconds passed into hours as the storm outside slowly quieted down and when she felt enough time had passed. Though sleep would eventually come, she felt rather hesitant. One reason was she was waiting for Ky to sleep. Closing her eyes for a second, she focused her hearing to hear the rhythmic breathing of her sleeping benefactor. In spite of their uncertain association, she still felt a desire to return the kindness given to her by Ky.

She slowly edged her way out, taking one of the blankets with her. Stepping as quietly as she could, she peeked around the door frame to the main room. Her benevolent intent evaporated upon seeing Ky in a chair with his sword at the ready in case someone were to try and attack him in the night... like Dizzy.

As quietly as she left her bed, she returned, her heart heavy with the realization that Ky most likely didn't trust her at all. Even after what they went through in the Devil's Forest meant little, if anything, to him. At a time when Dizzy would be more than happy to open up to someone, all she found was a closed door. With nothing more to do, she curled up on the bed and allowed her tail to appear. Holding it like a security blanket, she held back the urge to gnaw on the edge like she did when it first appeared. It never hurt, but it drove her mother to hysterics, not knowing what could have been on there.

"Mom... Dad.... I hope you're ok," she whispered to no one, wiping away a few tears in her eyes. She felt so alone right now. Whenever she had a bad dream, her dad was there. When she was in the Grove, Testament was there. When she was with the Jellyfish, any one of them would have been there. Now, with someone that she should be trusting, she found no one.

Uneasily, she slipped into sleep, only vaguely remembering the second reason why she sometimes refrained from sleeping.

A dream...

....a reoccurring dream....

........a dream so clear. It seemed as thought she were awake.........

A dream in the darkness... no, shadows.... all she saw were shadows....

....soon, lights appeared ahead of her. Shining their light downward.

A hallway?

But which hallway?

It didn't appear familiar at all!

In addition....

....she wasn't alone.

All she could see was the mane of hair that shone like flame.

Yet, when the person passed under a light, she could see it was a Gear, clad in a suit of armor.

Yet, within seconds, the armor broke.

The plates fell away to reveal a woman.

The woman turned to her and observed Dizzy eyes that shone like gold.

A very familiar feeling passed through her.

The woman turned to her and smiled.

But it wasn't a good smile...

.... and her eyes were alight with a hatred that scared her.

Worse yet, she seemed to beckon Dizzy to follow her and she could not resist.

She followed her through more hallways, and the further she went, the more she saw.

She saw Gears.

Many Gears.

And humans too.

But they were all chained, dirty, despondent, and lethargic!

She saw familiar faces...

May?

Potemkin?

Novel?

What happened?!

She followed the woman with the flame red hair to a central ante-chamber, where a single occupant sat on a dias underneath a dim light.

The woman with the flame red hair only smiled that wicked grin before vanishing.

She turned to the person sitting in the light and heard some muttering...

"Parasites... everyone of them..."

"...they won't die... no..."

"but I will make them beg for death..."

"I will make them suffer as I have suffered..."

Dizzy stepped closer to the person and noticed a pair of discolored wings, decayed and rotted.

The person looked up at Dizzy and she saw the black rings beneath the girl's eyes from the lack of sleep and the malnourished body.

She gasped when she discovered the face of the girl was her own.

The other Dizzy also gasped and stared into her eyes.

In an instant, they both asked,

"Who are you?"

It was then Dizzy awoke from the nightmare that had returned to her.

That dream first appeared when she noticed her powers beginning to grow. She wanted to confide in people around her, but a fear kept the plea for help silent. She wanted to believe the people around her could understand, but not every Gear had the capacity to dream.

She had idly asked Testament in the past if he still dreamed. To her sorrow, the sub-commander Gear made it quite clear than anything that would have made him human was wiped away, that included the ability to have dreams.

She sat up in the bed, letting the warming rays of the spring sun warm the skin that the light touched.

"It's that dream again, isn't it?" Undine asked as she emerged, evidently worried.

She nodded as the tears of fear gathered in her eyes. "Yes. And I saw more this time."

She didn't resist Undine's embrace as she wept.

End of chapter 2

Notes:

Kudos goes out to Zeronova for setting the example for necessary detail. Reading Dual Enmity inspired me. That's all I really need to say regarding that, because he's a dang good author. Also, he writes at a pace that makes me pretty darn envious.

Ah, fanfiction. How do I love thee. It gives us to come up with the most outlandish ideas and for those that actually try can create something that's downright plausible. Now, if only I could do that. To put it simply, Dizzy Backstory Booyah!

Part of the reason I love fanfiction is the interaction between characters. Gotta get past them hurdles, no? That's what I thought. The only hard part is making sure it seems plausible.

I'd try to concentrate on the story, but since my skill as a writer is mediocre at best, so, I'll just try and make some sense of this nonsense.

Now, I'm a bit worried about the dream sequence having an unusual format. I love dream sequences, but if it turns out that it's distracting the reader from enjoying the story, I'll just keep it at the standard format. I figured it would have been pretty neat to try and move from the standard format into a little something surreal and then back again.

Oh, and before we go, it should be noted that the names 'Illya Moroumetz' and 'Luveria' are actual names. They're Finnish, if I remember right. My source? Mystery Science Theater 3000 moves 'The Magic Sword' and 'The Magic Voyage of Sinbad'. Ah, B-Grade Cinema. What would I do without you?

Next to last, we loves our constructive criticisms, don't we, precious? So, go nuts and any and all attempts to give ideas and suggestions for improvement are greatly appreciated.

Finally; all things Ggear belongs to the Japanese equivalent of either Beck or Michael Jackson (minus all the litigation), Daisuke Ishiwatari, then Sammy, and Arc Systems.

12-4-04 Rewrite notes:  
Let's see... Devil's Grove scene changed and fight scenes added: Check  
Added levels of intercharacter tension and removal of trust: Check  
Extra fits of despair for Dizzy: Check  
Minor Formatting Errors fixed.  
Please stand by for following Rewrites and enjoy the fic.


	3. Past the point of reality

Looking over the screen of information, Bruce Aymond looked up to make sure no one disturbed him in his office. His office was a small and cramped affair, but he couldn't complain since there was no one to look at what he was doing directly... unless one of the directors secretly entered without making a sound. However, he was grateful that he was facing the door instead of his back.

There was very little privacy for those that dared choose this line of work. After all, the Post War Management Bureau never left room for chance. There were agreements of complete and unquestioned disclosure about those who wanted to join and since most didn't have anything to lose when they joined up, they agreed. However, what they never considered was the consequence of leaving. He had heard stories of those fed up with all the secrecy and lack of privacy threatening to go to the International Police or even the heads of State. And they always ended up gone. No trace. No trail. Nothing.

Bruce couldn't help but frown as to how efficiently the Executors Committee kept its employees in line and kept the organization's existence secret. Machiavelli would have been proud.

Typing in a few more keys on his keyboard, he was ready to move to another program when he paused, still as a statue. There were footsteps outside his office walking casually near. It was probably either one of his co-workers or one of the management. He quickly deleted all the keys he'd been typing up to then and returned to the present job at hand. The footsteps continued past his door and down the hall.

He would have openly sighed, but there were more important things to take care of.

With a flurry to keystrokes, he then activated a program he had been provided with by his 'previous employer'. With a push of the 'enter' key, the 'Opacus' program was initiated and all intrusion by electronic means would see him continue doing his work. Now, he had to work fast, since it worked as though it were a wind-up toy. The program would eventually fade back into dormancy, returning their surveillance of him in the open.

Thankfully, his resume had long since been lost and with no records to show where he come from, all the extensive searches the Management did, provided the results they wanted. An expendable drone that none would miss should something unfortunate happen.

Changing the perspective of the monitor, he then brought up the most recent report concerning a noticeable thorn in the side of the organization: Ky Kiske. Thankfully, there was nothing new and had yet to be a transmit from the listening device planted in his house. In fact, it was past due when the transmitter would make its report. Just barely. That could only mean one thing. Either the transmitter was nonfunctional or he had found it.

With a small sigh of relief, he found no one had accessed the file that held the last known transmission. Turning the volume down low on his unit, he played the sound file with his ear pressed to the small speaker on the desk. His eyes soon widened at the realization of whom he was listening to. There was no mistake. Sol Badguy and the assumed dead Commander Gear. With another quick set of keystrokes, the sound file was deleted and replaced with a composite of various silence from Ky's house. The Management would never be the wiser and Dizzy would be safe from the eyes of the Committee for now. Sensing Opacus was ready to close, he convincingly falsified another report to make Kiske less suspicious than usual. Still, there would be a heavy price to pay if the Committee ever found out. But he knew this was worth it... in fact, he felt at times like he was born for this role. Being the first chink in the nearly impenetrable armor of the PWAB.

It was beyond imperative that Dizzy be kept safe. It wasn't just for him or his 'previous employers'. But perhaps mankind's chance for freedom from the Bureau.

She was the hope of the world, after all.

---

Dressed in a simple white cotton button down shirt, black slacks, and a pair of shoes that seemed a size too large for her, Dizzy, going by her alias, Luveria Moroumetz, entered the police station.

She and Ky had talked for the past few days about what she could do when she came in to ask for a position. He had informed her that this branch of the International Police needed more recorders.

It was a given considering much of the International Police's respect had waned severely with the dissolution of the Holy Order and the reinstitution of the United Nations Security Council.

Because of which, extra personnel was always welcomed into any branch. Dizzy would be no expection to this, provided she kept her Gear side hidden. After all, help was help.

It was slightly uncomfortable to keep her wings and tail retracted for that long, but knowing the alternative, she figured slight discomfort wasn't so bad.

The application process wasn't as harrowing as she feared. As per Ky's predictions, her background check went off without a hitch and every thing seemed to be going well. But, as with all jobs, there was the interview to handle, and she had been prepared for the most of it. She was sat in a normal room in the station, like any other, the door slightly ajar to see out of, but she dared not look out, anything considered odd was a death sentence to her. It was going well... until the examiner brought up a question which she didn't really prepare for.

"Ms. Moroumetz, if you don't mind me asking, the Crusades have been over for nearly a decade. Kind of odd looking for a job now when most people were doing that after the war."

Dizzy caught herself before a gasp could escape her mouth. Too many frightening possibilities were coming to mind if she said the wrong thing. Her cover could be lost before it could even be established. She was almost ready to panic when Undine's words the night before came to mind, and Undine repeating them silently in her head to ease her from showing physical distress, and would mean failure for the job, and to Dizzy's conclusion, being caught, found, and killed. Gathering her courage, she answered calmly.

"Well, I wanted to stay and help my parents and friends because they did a lot for me. In plus, I was a little young ten years ago."

To her relief, the examiner smiled softly. "I'm not surprised. Justice really did a number on us and we all needed more time than what we got to rebuild. But hey, we're not without trying."

There was no further incident during the interview as the examiner put her through a few mundane procedures dealing with processing of records, citations, cases, and so on. With her advanced mind, she was able to pass easily, however, Ky had warned her not to perform perfectly, otherwise it would rouse suspicion.

So, passing off perfectly as a human, Dizzy felt a small sense of accomplishment settling into a new life. However, the enthusiasm slowly vanished when she analyzed it more thoroughly and knew it was a life in hiding.

When she was with the pirates, it was an open life with no one looking over your shoulder. This was one to be lived in fear and eternal, unwavering vigilance.

After the interview, she was taken to the archives, to officialize her job. From the archives room, she took a glance to the offices across the hallway and saw Ky speaking with two other officers. Though she was supposed to be protected by this man, her spirits sunk even lower. A part of her hoped things would improve...

...then she remembered Porvoo-3 and shook her head. No. Things would only remain quiet and then she'd have to run in the night once more before it all came to a head.

---

With a conversation with two other officers complete, Ky dismissed the men and allowed himself a little time to return to the domestic dispute case he started an hour ago. Looking up, he noticed Dizzy being shown the procedures of the job by Anna. She was a fast learner, and it would work to her advantage easily. Yet, it could just as easily work against her.

During their time of preparation, he had surreptitiously used a few word games which would have easily confused those who were not paying attention. She was able to see through his ruse perfectly, though she probably said nothing to indicate her unhappiness at being tried when she had doing nothing to receive such treatment.

Ky wanted to believe that things could work out for her now, but it was just too far fetched for even himself to believe. Despite doing everything he could to make sure everything would run smoothly, he still had doubts about this whole compromise.

Why, Sol? He mused to himself, taking an occasional glance towards Dizzy across the hall. Why me? You know as well as I do that I would sooner turn her in than protect her from my own superiors. A frown creased his face as he struggled to understand the hated bounty hunter's motives. As soon as he got some time off to himself, he would hunt down Sol once more and demand an explanation. Outclassed or not, Ky would not be denied.

"Mr. Kiske! Call for you on line three," cried the secretary from the front.

"Just a moment," he replied, reaching for his phone unit. If he was right, then it was one of his contacts in Zepp giving him some much needed news on the Robo-Ky's that had been hunting him.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Kiske."

He blinked at the sound of a woman's voice on the other end. It was no one he recognized. "Who is this?"

"An old friend, if you must know."

Looking around, he made sure no one was watching him as he lowered his voice into the phone. "I apologize, but I don't recall the voice in the least."

The voice on the other end seemed slightly perturbed, but not offended. "Come on, Ky. It hasn't been that long. Besides, I got a message from Sol you'd probably like to hear."

Ky's suspicions grew. Sol was never one to beat around the bush. In fact, whenever Sol wanted to get in touch with someone, he always did it face to face. He never had anyone give messages for him.

"Somehow, I doubt that Sol Badguy would give a message to anyone."

"You don't know him that well," the woman said before adding mischievously, "unless there's something you're not telling us about you and him."

Ky's frown grew. A few of the office workers at the station had gotten a good laugh out of his obsession with defeating Sol, and construed it to make it appear they were lovers. Of course, whenever Ky was present about it or heard from someone who was, his mere presence and authority put those words to silence. Ky simply loathed Sol at best, and outright hated him at the worst.

However, she did have a point. Try as he may, he had never truly figured out the thought patterns of the man he hated most. So he had no choice but to concede the point.

Hildegard continued casually. "Don't worry about it too much. Not even we can figure the guy out and we know him better than you do, but enough of that."

Ky wanted to argue that, but realized that any thing he could have said would only make things worse. Silently, he listened.

"This is what he told me to tell you, and I quote, 'Hey, kid. I got something for ya. There's a boat with a secret treasure in it. Just a few old stories. It's not much good for me, but I figured you'd go dizzy over it.'. Got any idea what it means?"

Ky's eyes widened when he realized that either this Hildegard knew he was harboring Dizzy or it really was from Sol. And the boat... the Jellyfish Pirates craft? Perhaps the 'old stories' were the information as to why Johnny Sfondi and his crew were dead.

Faking a sigh of frustration, he answered, "I haven't the slightest idea what it means."

"I see... oh well, whatever the case may be, Ky, take care. And don't worry, you aren't alone."

He was about to ask what Hildegard meant when she hung up before he could form the words. It seemed that everyone knew what was going on except him... and that jarred him greatly. Why the idea of not tracing the line or pursuing the contact didn't spring to instant mind wasn't out of stupidity, but rather that if he did, there was reason to know, and his reason couldn't be overlooked, so he let the call slide, for now.

---

Hanging up the phone, 'Hildegard' allowed herself a small smile. It was quite amusing playing with the hero of the Crusades. She allowed herself an enthusiastic smile and leaned back into her chair of her office.

She was a woman of twenty-five years and of moderate size and therefore, didn't stand out too much. Which suited her just fine. Though her rich and thick red hair, perpetually hanging from a pony tail at the back of her head, was sort of an eye sore, people just shrugged it off.

Words could not convey just how much she loved her job. Even risking the ire of the P.W.A.B. was overshadowed by the potential reward. Perhaps it would create a world where her children would not have to worry about someone watching over their shoulder.

"Did he get the message?" a man's voice with a distinct Romanian accent asked from a chair across from her chair. Slayer was quite a man in her eyes. Helplessly devoted to his wife and though seemingly bored with the petty struggles of mere mortals like herself, she knew were his conscience lay. It was for that, she would be grateful.

"Yes, he did. I know he understood it too. Let's just hope he doesn't ruin it before Sol gets the 'old stories' to him. You know how fussy he can get."

The vampire smiled calmly and blew a small ring of smoke from the pipe in his mouth. "That I do. But he should never be underestimated. Justice did that and she paid for it dearly."

"That I believe," 'Hildegard' said. "But it was Sol that killed her."

Slayer remained resolute. "Be that as it may, I believe the Guardian of the Day would have been more than capable of ending Justice's life."

'Hildegard's' eye cocked in surprise. "You think that highly of him?"

Slayer stood up and gave her a cryptic grin before heading out. "I do more than think. I know."

She got the idea and let the matter go. "If I may ask, sir. Why are you even bothering helping us in the first place?"

Melding into the shadows, the ancient vampire answered calmly, "Because, I feel the Shadow Hearts is worthy to fulfill the same role the Assassin's Guild did when I first created it."

She bowed her head in respect. "I am honored to hear that."

"Though, I bite my tongue in saying it, because you'd be no better off than the Guild now if you let it go to your heads."

"And the Guild is…?"

"A living corpse."

---

Ky, writing idly in the report in front of him, noticed Dizzy scurrying this way and that with files in her arms. It appeared she was getting used to this, which was good. If luck was on their side, then she would be able to keep her identity secret.

He sighed and went back to his report. It was more than jarring to know that he was practically living two lives now. One was supposed to be the Ky Kiske everyone knew. The hero of the Crusades. The Slayer of Justice in some circles.

The last name irritated him about as much as any of Sol's taunts. He was only a part of Justice's sealing. There had been many brave men and women that gave their lives to complete the incantation and put away the nightmarish Gear into the prison dimension.

And even then, it would only be made pointless by Testament's meddling a few years later. The world had enough of war. Perhaps... was that was Sol was referring to when he had questioned him about 'That Man'? That it should be left to die and left alone? That strategy didn't work for Justice, why should Ky approach it to 'That Man'?

If that was so, then Ky knew that it had to be found. The truth needed to be known, regardless of how unpleasant it could be. Otherwise, there would be future generations repeating the mistakes of the past and with more dire consequences. To think that Justice was waging a war that dragged on for a century and was always a hair's width away from victory (and defeat) by the time he took command.

He looked to the setting sun and realized that time had passed sooner than he noticed.

"Miguel," he asked to one of the office workers across from him, "what time is it?"

The aforementioned was closing up his workspace and gathering his jacket. "I'm taking a guess, Officer Kiske, but I think it's time to go home, for me anyway. The night shift should be coming in any minute now."

He looked over to the recorder's offices and figured Dizzy must have already left. Though he was supposed to be her guardian, he felt a bit guilty for not noticing her departure. By definition, he was supposed to be watching over her. Not to mention that Dizzy leaving was suspicious to him, if not anyone else. She might leave because it was right in the co-worker's eyes, but to him, he saw trouble.

"If that's the case, I think I'll head out too."

Miguel cocked an eyebrow and a humored grin at him, "Well, that's a first. You've always been here after hours. Is Mr. All-Work-And-No-Play finally letting himself loose? Is there a girl involved? And I'm not talking about that China girl you broke up with."

Ky, on the other hand, was not amused by Miguel's intrusive behavior. "I –am- your higher up in this chain of command, but I'll pretend you said none of that. Now, if you'll excuse me." The Thunderseal sheathed in his scabbard, he walked out of the office faster than he would have liked. And he walked uncomfortably fast until he was sure he was out of range of Miguel's constant questions.

Opening the door to his house, Ky stepped in, closed the door, and locked it with a grateful breath. It had been a long day and he was glad that it was over for once.

Placing his jacket on the rack, he walked into the living room to see Dizzy, sitting on the floor, against the wall with her face in her hands. At first, he didn't care, she was a Gear, deal with it, and now that he was home, he didn't have to put up with it. But a mournful look up as she saw him enter, and a few minutes later, after going to the kitchen and doing a few normal after-work activities, his conscious winning out and going to her side, being the saint he was.

"Dizzy, are you alright?"

Looking up, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes. It wasn't physical, but whatever it was, it had taken much from her. He could tell she wanted to shake her head, but held it back.

"Mr. Kiske..." she began in a whisper, "I... I'm not sure I can get used to this."

Ky wanted to tell her otherwise, tell her she had to. He knew she could adapt and would most likely overcome, but his own doubts swallowed up the optimism he had earlier that day. However, it would be cruel of him to be apathetic to her situation, even if she was a Gear.

Taking a seat on a chair, he looked into her eyes and replied as tactfully as he could, "You will and so will I."

Not expecting the latter half of the answer she asked, "You?"

He nodded. "If you're discovered, you may be captured by the Bureau and I will most likely be imprisoned for harboring a Commander Gear." He secretly knew he didn't need that second to last word, as harboring a Gear at all, the fear of humanity, would draw enough bad looks, calls of backstabbing, consorting with the enemy, and the question of how it could still be alive. It was a mess if she was found, and he had to deal with it, and the consequences.

That wasn't the whole truth. The UN Security Council had passed a law some years back that anyone harboring a Gear for any reason were executed with no trial. There had been smaller militias attempting to 'train' Gears to do their bidding with the loss of Justice and they were all dealt with swiftly and harshly. Ky himself had encountered a few such groups in the past and felt the law unjust, but said nothing. He also could sympathize, considering his own background in fighting Gears, that the world was fearful of any Gear what so ever. The thought of maybe it could turn its back and become like Justice was too great to use their benefits.

The sad look on Dizzy's face deepened and she curled up against the corner, letting her forearms rest on her knees. Her tail, now free from the clothes, curled around her feet as though she were trying to keep herself warm. It instinctively slithered tighter, no thought given by Dizzy to its actions, like one didn't need to think to breathe.

She whispered to herself, though it was audible to his ears. "It's like Porvoo-3 all over again."

"Porvoo-3?"

She looked up and nodded. "It was the town in Finland where I grew up. My dad told me it was a big city at one time, but when I lived there, it was a small hamlet."

The pieces slowly fit together in Ky's mind. Though he felt he was intruding, he had to ask.

"What happened?"

Dizzy sighed, not wishing to relive the memory, but knew he deserved to hear the story.

-

Dizzy was only one year old, but already she had the appearance of a child of six. Her dark blue hair was already growing like a weed and no matter how often her mother cut it, it would only grow back just as fast. She often giggled innocently at her mothers light frustration and feeling no other recourse, taught her how to tie the two ribbons in her hair.

One morning, she was sitting atop the shoulders of her father as they walked through the slowly vanishing mist of the woods by the small house they lived in. It was a sight she never got bored of. It was as almost if Heaven had moved to the forest and they were free to visit anytime they wished.

Her father was a large man. Easily six and a half feet tall with a physique that belied his age. Being in the Holy Order had left him strong and even in retirement, he was still one of the stronger men in any armed force. He refused to be sedate and kept going and with a baby girl to take care of, he found himself moving more than he would have liked.

The heavy beard around his face tickled Dizzy's skin whenever she hugged him or kissed him on the cheek. Despite it growing in a light silvery tint, there was a still a bit of light brown around the top.

Dizzy instinctively adjusted her balance with every large step her father took to avoid the larger roots and giggled whenever he purposefully jumped to avoid a non-threatening rock. However, the usually joyful walk was slightly marred by something that had been gnawing at her for a while.

"Daddy..." Dizzy asked solemnly.

"Yes, dear?" Iliya asked, noting the tone in his daughter's voice.

"When I go into town... the others look at me strange. Did I do something?"

Without stopping, he answered casually. "No. They've never seen you much and they think they're seeing someone different."

Despite her father's good intentions, she couldn't help but feel there was something more. "Am I different?"

Again, the confidence in her father's gentle tone didn't waver. "Yes, but then again, everyone's different. And I think it's better that way. It'd be awfully boring if we were all the same."

Satisfied with the answer, Dizzy wrapped her small hands around her father's head and kissed the top. Her daddy was her best friend and she hoped he would never leave.

-

"By that time, nothing had happened, but I had a feeling it wouldn't last. Another year later..."

-

Dizzy looked in wonder at the several boys and girls playing a simple game where one was 'it' and everyone did everything in their power to avoid contact. Should anyone be touched, they would be 'it' and would have to place the label on someone else by the same method. What caught her attention most was how much they were moving, the laughter, and all the joy they were having.

They were all roughly her own age, she was only two and they ten to twelve. She looked enough like them to pass as one of their own and felt the need to join them in their game.

"Hey, can I play too?"

One of the smaller boys, Olaf, replied, "Sure! But you get it be 'it'!"

With a gleeful sprint, she flew into the game and found the other children to be faster than she anticipated. For a minute, she laughed and chased one of the other girls, touched her on the shoulder, squealed, "You're it!" and dashed the other way.

The girl shouted in shock and then started advancing on Dizzy as fast as her eleven year old legs could carry her. However, Dizzy was still faster and soon the girl had to find someone else to tag.

The same mindlessly fun game continued for roughly ten more minutes, none of them having a care in the world. Dizzy was about to tag the boy that had invited her in when the voice of an adult stopped them all in their tracks.

"OLAF!" screamed his mother from the distance.

The boy froze in terror, not knowing what he had done wrong. His confusion escalated when his mother grabbed his arm, "What are you doing?!"

On the brink of tears, Olaf replied quickly, "I... I was just playing tag... and..."

"And you were letting that... that... THING touch you?!" the mother said with an angry glare in Dizzy's direction.

Olaf's further protests and then his forceful departure seemed like a distant echo as the mother's accusation reverberated in her memory in an infinite loop. It seemed as thought someone had struck Dizzy on the cheek and confirmed the suspicions she had recalled a year ago.

Despite the other childrens' confusion on the matter and their insistence they she stay, Dizzy declined and ran home. She ran, hoping they wouldn't see the tears gushing out of her eyes.

-

"I tried not to let it bother me, but it was then that I realized I wasn't human. And not long after that, my wings and tail appeared. I was scared to go out. Eventually, during the spring after my third birthday..."

-

Dizzy was reading one of the books in her father's small library. She had already read through them all once, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to read them again. Despite it not having a happy ending, she enjoyed reading 'The Once and Future King'.

Dizzy liked the hero, Arthur, and would at times wished he was alive. There seemed so much wrong in the world and he would have found a way to make it right.

"Danger approaches!" Necro whispered from the back of her mind.

Putting the book down, she stepped out of the study to main room where the window showed her a frightening sight.

There was a mob of people outside. A few torches lit the darkness and a few carried pitchforks and what not. But that's not what scared her. She could see the faces of some of them in the crowd. There was anger, rage, and hatred that seemed to have a specific target in mind.

"Luveria, keep down," her father whispered quickly, taking the Earth Seal from his study and stepping to the front door, his weapon hoisted on his shoulder. She had asked about the large hammer/halberd her father once wielded in the service of the Holy Order. Though he himself did not know much about its origin, he did know that it was a weapon of great power, meant for those that would defend humanity from the dreaded Justice.

Out of curiosity, she had tried to lift the weapon, but to her shock, she had received a powerful jolt and was unconscious for nearly a day for merely touching it. There was something powerful about the weapon and she never desired to be near it again.

When interest of the Earth Seal waned, she wanted to hear the stories of his days in battle, but he had always refrained, not wishing to relieve the past. She had learned that was a time he would have rather forgotten.

Feeling her heart race, she crawled to her mother, who also stood out of direct sight of the window. "Mom, what's going on? Why are they here?" she asked, nearly overcome with fear.

Her mother, a brave woman that had seen many things worse than this, frowned, "They're scared."

"Scared? Of what?"

Her mother, Velija, looked to her sadly, "They're scared of you, dear. They don't know why, but this is the only way they can deal with it and it makes them fools for it."

"What's the meaning of this?!" Iliya screamed to the mob.

"We know she's there, Moroumetz! Send her out!" one man in the mob replied, accompanied by several shouts of agreement.

She saw her father frown. "What for? She's done nothing to warrant this treatment."

A woman spoke up, this one Dizzy recognized as Olaf's mother, "That doesn't matter. Don't you realize that she, no, it's a Gear?!"

Iliya tilted his head, unconvinced, "Odd. Last time I saw her, she was as human as the rest of us."

The first man screamed in incredulance, "What kind of human has wings and tail?!"

Another roared, "That thing's a menace!"

Several more people also spoke up, "We gotta get rid of it or it'll kill us!"

Iliya folded his arms, "I will not allow that. She's my daughter!"

The first man, along with a few others, scoffed, "Who's gonna stop us, Moroumetz? You?"

The answer was quick and violent. Swinging the hammer head of the Earth Seal into the ground, a very noticeable tremor shook the ground and the mob.

When the group had finally got it's footing again, they were about to charge Iliya when they realized something different about him.

Dizzy gasped in shock when she saw how drastically her father had changed. His heavy breathing was noticeable in the still chilly air, puffing out in noticeable steam clouds. And he was hunched over, growling like an animal. Now she understood why he never wanted to speak of his time in the Holy Order.

"If any of you..." Iliya snarled, "...bring harm to my daughter, I will make you wish your mothers negated your births! And I'm sure this works just as well on humans as it does on Gears!"

The mob, finally understanding with whom they were dealing with, quickly dispersed. Standing by himself, Dizzy saw her father return to being the man she knew. However, there was a visible sadness in his countenance as he returned to the house.

Passing through the door, her mother walked up to her husband and embraced him as best as she could. Dizzy didn't know what to think until her father looked at her with shame in his eyes. Forgetting her own dilemma, she hurried to her father's side and held him as tears induced by past trauma returned.

-

"It was then I knew that I had to leave. My parents were going to be hurt one way or another. So, the next night..."

-

Stepping as quietly as her feet would allow her, she moved to the back door. All she had was the black dress with white collar on her back, and a small backpack of supplies. Perhaps she could find a place where she would be safe and her parents would be left in peace with her gone. She didn't want to do this, but the choice was no longer available to her.

"Do you really think this is necessary?" her father asked from the shadows. Though he hard a hard time facing her after the previous night's events, he would not shirk his responsibilities as a parent.

She nodded. "Yes. I have to otherwise they may do something to you and mom just to get at me. This is the only way."

Her father frowned, "I was never fond of abuse in any form. We can find a way to get around this."

She sighed quietly, "I know... but if I'm not here, then that means they'll leave you alone. I don't want you or mom getting hurt because of me. I have to go."

Iliya remained still as he continued, "What makes you so certain things will improve when you go?"

She looked to her father sadly, "I don't know... but what I do know is that things won't get any better the longer I stay."

Her father knew the truth in her words, but didn't want to admit it. "Where will you go? What will you do?"

She looked to the outside and replied, "There's a grove, to the far north where I know nobody goes to. It's a long distance from here and they won't be able to find it."

"Luveria..."

She sniffed and looked to her father. "I don't want to go... but I have to!"

In resignation, her father opened his arms like he did when she looked like a six year old. With tears in her eyes, she embraced her father desperately and said between sobs, "I'll come back, dad! I promise! I'll find a place where you don't have to worry about these things!"

Her father kissed the top of her head. "Your mother and I will be waiting, Luveria."

Wiping the tears away, she moved through the door, and into the night, wanting to look back to the good man and woman that loved her despite the fact she was a Gear, but couldn't. Her face was soaked with tears before she even left the yard.

-

Like in the past, Dizzy wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she looked to see Ky was completely fixed upon her story. Yet, he still wore no expression that Dizzy could place a name to, simply listening without any sort of twinge of emotion or compassion, just blankly listening.

"It's not the best way I could tell it, but it's what I remember," she admitted sadly.

He stood up and walked into his study. As he walked through the door, Ky stopped and said without turning to her, "For what it's worth, Dizzy... I believe you."

She was surprised, as were her guardians that slowly crept into her mind.

"Perhaps he does not fear us as much as he used to," Undine offered, "he may trust us yet."

"I can still feel the suspicion in his voice, but he spoke the truth when he said he believed us," Necro added, "so, you may be right, Undine. However, I only have one issue with him…"

"And that is?" Undine asked presumptuously, the voices bouncing off of the walls of Dizzy's head.

"He didn't ask how Dizzy could have been born by humans, a member of the Holy Order no less."

"We don't have those answers anyway, so it's best he not ask it."

Whether her guardians were right or wrong remained to be seen. However, the little encouragement he gave her was most likely enough for her to believe that she could do this.

She would do her best.

End of Chapter 3

Notes: Major thanks to Zero Nova for beta reading this chapter. I only expected a small 'what did you think' response and lo and behold, he went the extra mile. Zero, you rock.

A theme I hope this story will portray is that the PWAB, though powerful and what not, isn't without its enemies and vulnerable in some way. And I'm not referring to the plucky cast of odd balls from the game either.

I was hoping to place the Dizzy backstory at a later date, but found it able to work around here. I'm well aware that she was hidden in the Grove by her adopted parents, according to the official story, but we fanfic authors can take a liberty here and there, no?

Bear in mind, folks, I started out this story with a beginning, an end, and a few select scenes in between. It gives me a little room to work in ideas with and the suggestions of those that I find useful (like Zero Nova's).

Oh yes, fanfic points for those that can guess Hildegard's identity. There's a hint in the conversation with Slayer. You can spend your points freely at the gift shop for useless toiletries. :p

Well, with that said, all things Guilty Gear belong to Sammy, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and his avatar, Sol Badguy.


	4. Distant Lands

The distant thunder's rumble brought Dizzy out of her nap as she moved to a more comfortable position. Gently, she moved her body until her two and a half year old body, which looked like a girl in her fifteenth year, was lying on its side, with her head using her mother's knees as a pillow.

She liked many things about her mother, Velija Sade Moroumetz. Her long, soft hair, turning white with her increasing years, the gentle, gray eyes, showing her extensive wisdom, and the unwavering sense of her simply being a mother. What she liked most about her, though, was how she and Dizzy would always take a walk in the forest near their house whenever it rained. There was always a tree they had always chosen to sit under and enjoy the weather with.

The rain was never too extensive, nor was it too light. The sound it made was almost as soothing as the lullaby her mother often sang to her.

Humming a nameless tune, her mother stroked her hair slowly, presently free from the ribbons she often wore, and draped it over the edge of her knees.

"Mom..." Dizzy asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere they were in.

"Yes?" her mother replied, not missing a beat.

"I... I've been hearing things around town." She tried to continue, but the awkward nature of what she wanted to say silenced her.

"About what?" Her mother pressed gently.

Not knowing how to put it tactfully, Dizzy asked, "What's a Gear?"

She could tell something had changed in her mother when she asked the question. The strokes were slower and more cautious.

She looked up to see her mother close her eyes, probably thinking of an appropriate answer. When she finally opened her eyes, she could see the sadness in them. "I wish I knew what they were made for in the first place... but what I do know is that they were the culmination of mankind's arrogance. Then Justice appeared and we learned our mistake too late."

Dizzy had heard about the creature known as Justice. There were various descriptions of the mysterious Gear. But every one of them had a single thing in common. It was a merciless killer, like all Gears were. That's what bothered Dizzy. Ever since her tail and wings, now retracted for her mother's comfort, appeared, she was beginning to suspect something everyone else already knew.

She bit her lip, knowing that her mother knew where this was leading. "Mom... am... am I a Gear?"

Her mother analyzed her question and look for a while before answering calmly, "Yes and no."

Dizzy blinked at the unusual response. Things seemed so simple now and to hear such an abstract answer did not ease her worries.

"What do you mean?"

Her mother smiled warmly and sat Dizzy up. "It is true there are some aspects of you that resemble those of Gears that I fought against during the Crusades. Your tail, the wings, and the fact I can feel the magic flowing through your veins like blood."

Dizzy's mood became crestfallen. "Then I am a Gear..."

Nodding, her mother continued, "Yes, but only part. The other part of you is human."

"But, what makes me human? The shape of my body?"

Keeping her spirits high, Velija took Dizzy's hands and placed it against her own collarbone. "Tell me; what do you feel? Can you hear anything?"

Concentrating, she felt a rhythmic pumping and a beating against her hand. She could also hear the same rhythm moving through her body. "Yes... I can hear and feel it. It's my heart. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"From what I learned, Luveria" her mother started"Gears only operate by magic. There is no circulation in their systems. In addition; you have a heart. Not just the one that moves blood through your body, but the heart that cares for those around you."

Despite her mother's assuring smile, Dizzy still felt depressed. "But part of me's still a Gear..." she was interrupted when her mother cupped her face with her hands, reached forward and kissed Dizzy's forehead.

Velija looked directly into her eyes and said without blinking"That matters little. More than a Gear, more than a human, you are my daughter. And I love you, regardless. Nothing will change that."

The concentrated look told Dizzy that her mother had the confidence and conviction to say those words without a hint of doubt. Her mother loved her and she meant it. Feeling her heart rise a bit, she leaned forward and embraced her mother. She felt fortunate to have such caring parents.

"Ah, the rain's stopped. Shall we go home"

Dizzy nodded and helped her mother to her feet. Keeping a step ahead of her mother, Dizzy inhaled the moist forest air deeply as they walked back onto the cobble stone path leading to their home. Though the rain hadn't stopped completely, Dizzy didn't mind at all as she casually hopped from one stone to another.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard a sickening crack from behind her and felt something much thicker than rain splatter against her neck.

She gasped and felt her heartbeat accelerate, standing as still as a statue, not wanting to know what had just happened. However, her curiosity got the better of her as she whirled around to see her dear mother impaled on a black spike extending from a tall and imposing shadow.

Who...?

Why...?

Her mother reached to her, whispering"Luveria... run..." before her body slumped and moved no more.

Dizzy was frozen in fear as the shadow casually tossed her mother's lifeless body aside. When the shadow's features slowly came to life, Dizzy's legs gave out and she fell unceremoniously to the ground. The shadow seemed to dissipate and flow off like it was an oil covering it, revealing the white armor over the larger-than-life figure; its blood red hair waving in the wind and seeming to possess a mind of its own, weaving around and between its legs and arms, feeling the body now lying on the ground, the tips running over the length as it walked past it.

It was the Gear from her dream! But how...?

The Gear advanced on her with steps that left the ground ablaze. Faster than logically possible, the forest was consumed in an inferno. And try as she may, Dizzy found herself trapped with the nightmarish Gear at her front and a wall of flame behind her.

The Gear then stopped roughly a step's length away from her, keeping a lock with her eyes. As much as Dizzy didn't want to, her eyes were trapped in those two golden sheets of glass overflowing with hatred, the bits of translucent on the white helmet showing the hypnotizing eyes.

"Mama..." Dizzy whispered as tears poured from her eyes.

"Yes" the Gear said calmly as though her comment had been directed at it, coming out as a ghastly voice instead of a humanly and soothing one.

Again, Dizzy gasped, not believing what she had heard. She started shaking her head violently in denial.

"No! NO! NO"

The armor around the Gear's head melted. Letting the metal gather at a pool around its feet, the Gear wiped the remaining pieces of metal off of its face. No sooner had the last of the faceplate vanished, it snapped its hand out, grabbed Dizzy by the neck and hoisted her up to eye level, the small girl now looking face to face with the twelve-foot monstrosity.

Dizzy struggled to release herself from the Gear's grip, but upon seeing the visage of the enemy's face, she stopped. Again, she repeated "No" under her breath when she found the face of the monster that had killed her mother was her own. The enemy smiled in a delight, squeezing harder as its eyes expanded with the cold, armored hand constricted, Dizzy's eyes straining to not be covered by her heavy eyelids under the pressure and lack of blood flowing to her head, one last jump of strength to keep them open-

Dizzy's eyes then shot open to see the ceiling in the bedroom she had been sleeping in for the past week. Her face was soaked with tears and her body ached all over, especially her neck.

She fought against the pain to sit up and face the first light of dawn creeping across the eastern horizon. She wiped her tears away with her forearm between sniffs. As all encompassing as the dream was, she remembered that this was the day that she was to accompany Ky as a recorder for an investigation around midday. Yet, even the work couldn't provide an adequate distraction for the ordeal she was suffering from.

The dreams were getting worse.

-

Try as he may, he couldn't keep his attention on the report he had taken home with him the day before. His gaze was locked on the hallway leading to his room.

Earlier that morning, he had heard a bit of noise and discovered his protectorate was having a nightmare. She had turned and tossed furiously, whispering things in denial as the pillow was soaked with her sobs.

He sipped a bit of tea as he wondered why he didn't wake her up. Maybe the thought of a Gear having a dream was too much for someone like himself to handle. Gears didn't sleep, therefore, they didn't dream.

However, there was a whisper in the back of his mind that reminded him that Dizzy was an exception. It was far too easy for him to place her back into the generalization that all Gears were the same.

More than that, he felt it was a bit too coincidental that she was supposed to accompany him to Mullhouse right next to the German border. Though it was standard procedure for recorders to accompany officers on missions of investigations, recorders often didn't go out on missions like this until they had at least a month's worth of experience, as the I.P.F. code stated.

The French Prime Minister, Gepetto Poret and his granddaughter Cornelia were assaulted and were nearly kidnapped by some unknown assailants. They survived the encounter and the local branch of the French Secret Service went into action to find the ones responsible.

The reason for calling Ky was the fact that the assailants bore a striking resemblance to him. The frequency of such events were increasing with the past few months. He was of no normal exception, he had the normal French face and French style, so there was no mystery that he looked quite French like a lot of other Frenchmen, but those assaulted had more than a passing resemblance, but more of an uncanny one. And so, he was determined to find the source of these things, no matter where it was, and destroy it.

So, he made his appeal to the heads of the International Police Force to find the source of those Robo-Kys and was turned away many times. The Robo-Kys were robotic duplicates of him, very rough ones, that only shared the blonde hair and clothes with him, but besides that, stuck out like a Gear. Around the office, the ghost stories Kiske told of these odd ones had garnered snickers and water-cooler jokes, as well as the now infamous term that they had coined at the H.Q. of "Robo-Ky". The Post War Administration Bureau did not exist, they told him. Despite all his evidence to the contrary, they would not listen and he began to doubt that they ever would.

The last time he attempted an investigation, there was a general feeling in the room that if he persisted, he'd be out of a job. They had that sort of "desist, or persist and you'll be doing it without our jurisdiction", if Ky could remember one of the repeated words he heard from them.

Feeling that little could be accomplished by brooding over things he could not accomplish as it was now, he finished his morning tea and went to the central room to make arrangements for transportation to his assignment that day.

-

Walking down the street slowly a few steps behind Ky, Dizzy saw the police station looming near. To draw off suspicions that Dizzy was living under Ky's roof, they agreed to start out on individual paths to the station, 'coincidentally' walking on the same path the closer they got.

The vehicle meant to take them to the eastern border was to reach the station and take them to meet the prime minister shortly. However, the nightmare she had experienced only hours ago dampened any sort of enthusiasm.

Her spirits sunk lower when she saw the two posters on the side of one of the older buildings every time she walked to the station. They were both faded and worn from enduring many summers, yet their message remained clear.

'Face your fears and fight the Gears!'

'Show Justice what justice is all about!'

The first poster showed an older solider, Kliff Undersn, she had learned. His image was superimposed behind a large number of Holy Order soldiers marching in formation, armed and ready for battle.

The second poster showed a pair of Holy Order soldiers sitting upon the motionless bodies of what she assumed to be a Gear in the shape of some large reptilian animal. The handles of various weapons stuck out from its head and the two soldiers looked like they hadn't broken a sweat.

Tearing her gaze away from the posters, she continued her trek. She felt empty and without direction. So, she had a cover to keep herself alive. Yet, this kind of life did not have the same freedom as one of the Jellyfish pirates. It seemed so superficial. So...false.

Trying to keep her spirits up, she walked into the police station to gather the materials recorders often took with them. Most of the materials they used was originated from pre-Crusades technology.

They used typewriters to complete reports on papers that were used in storage. Wasting paper was unofficially forbidden since the process used to create paper was considered 'Black Tech'. So, it was used with extreme care and often only the most important of cases. Like the one she was to work on today. She walked through the recognizable front doors, instantly greeted by the friendly lady sitting behind the main desk of the establishment.

"Morning, Luveria!" Anna, the file clerk that assisted with her training chimed happily.

"Good morning," Dizzy replied as enthusiastically as she could.

Noticing her lack of energy, Anna spoke as she was placing an overstuffed folder into one of the many cabinets lining the back of the room, the front having chairs and other such public accommodations. "Tough night?"

Dizzy nodded as she moved through an adjacent hallway to the lobby, going to where the overhead signs labeled as lockers, Anna followed, another folder in her hands to deliver somewhere along the way. "Nightmare."

Understanding, Anna nodded vigorously. "I know how you feel. I couldn't get a good night's sleep until a few years after the Crusades ended."

Dizzy listened as she opened a locker holding the supplies she needed, grabbing for a satchel hanging on one of those hinged metal pieces that held up items; Dizzy always found herself looking awkwardly at those, wondering who would have thought of such an odd creation that works so well. Looking up from the bag after checking the contents and supplies in it, Dizzy asked, "What happened?"

Realizing she had said too much, Anna retreated. "Well... um, I'm not sure if I wanna tell the story again..."

Not knowing that Dizzy understood her more than she would realize, the half-Gear pressed gently. "Because it's like living that unpleasantness again, isn't it?"

When the empathy worked, Anna smiled sadly. "Yeah... I mean... you can't really get over seeing your parents killed by Gears when your dad throws you into the last fleeing truck."

Dizzy gasped when the mental image of what could have happened played out too clearly for her liking.

"I'm so sorry..."

To her surprise, Anna perked up. "You don't need to apologize. My dad gave his life so I could be here... I'm not gonna waste it feeling sorry for losing him."

Despite the bright look Anna gave her, Dizzy felt something wanting to get out.

"You still miss him?"

Fighting back a gathering tear, she nodded. "Every day."

On instinct, Dizzy reached up and took Anna's hand gently. "I miss my dad too. I had to leave and leave him and mom by themselves."

Blinking the tear out, Anna wiped it away. "Why did you have to leave?"

Thinking quick, Dizzy quietly muttered, "It would have made things worse for them if I stayed."

Reciprocating the empathy shown her, Anna said, "That bad, huh?"

Dizzy nodded before closing the shoulder bag and shutting the locker it came out of. Carrying the bag under her arm, she turned to Anna and gave her best smile. "I'm sorry I made you tell me all this. I shouldn't have pried."

To her surprise, Anna shook her head. "Really, it's fine. It's nice to be able to get it out once in a while."

Dizzy nodded to Anna once more before heading to Ky's office to wait for the carriage. Though she didn't mind being under Ky's protection, there was something uncomfortable having to stay within his sight at all times, despite the fact she understood why.

When she was entering Ky's office, one of the officers said, "Hey, Moroumetz."

Blinking, Dizzy turned to the officer. "Yes?"

Gesturing his head towards the clerk's office, he said quietly, "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation, but there's something I think you'd best know about Anna."

"What's that?"

"Anna's never opened up to anyone. Not even some of the clerks she's known for years got that far with her."

Dizzy looked back to the sound of the furiously typing file clerk as the officer took his leave and to the entrance of the station.

"Kinda wished it was me, but, oh well. Good luck on your assignment today, Moroumetz."

She thanked the departing officer, and joined Ky as they departed. Along the way, she wondered what exactly she had done to bring out what was bothering Anna. She would have to find out later as she followed Ky to the front door. The I.P.F. and symbol read backwards from looking at the opaque plate from the inside, but she was used to the seal anyways, even at home it was stamped all over.

She stepped quickly to the taxi sitting out front. The odd shaped cart had arrived while she was inside. It would escort them to the airstrip where their transportation to Mullhouse would be waiting.

She had read about these things called 'cars'. Before the Crusades, there had been a myriad of different designs in every conceivable shape and color. However, they had initially ran on a now exhausted resource called 'oil' and with none of it left, the magic generators had to take over. In fact, she could hear the magic circulating through the frame of the gyros, ready to make it move on its driver's command.

Then the Crusades came and they inevitably became a thing of the past. They only began to resurface by those whom felt a penchant for ancient relics of another era... and those who had a large enough wallet. Like most people in Paris, they either took the refurbished electric trollies from here to there or they simply walked. The trollies, she had learned, were quite similar to the ones used before magic was discovered, since they operated on such a simple line, they were easy to maintain and were commonly used by everyone.

When Dizzy was about to step into the back seat beside a report reading Ky, she felt a shiver running down her spine.

"We're being watched!" Necro whispered.

She scanned the area and found nothing out of the ordinary. However, in an alley across the modestly busy street, she saw a shadow retreating quickly. Holding her anxiety in check, she dashed across the street, despite Ky's protests, being as casual as she could, dodging other pedestrians on the way. Skidding to a halt in front of the way, she tried to find the possible source of what she had seen, but found nothing. More so, she could hear nothing other than a feral cat resting on the top of an abandoned box.

Try as she may, she could not keep her heart settled. There was definitely someone here. Who could it have been? Maybe the Bureau was watching her? During her time among the pirates, she had more than one run in with the shady organization. And if there was one thing she understood too well, is that they were always omnipresent.

Johnny, the leader of the Jellyfish Pirates, who welcomed her to the ship nearly a year prior, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to groups like them. He could tell when their influence was high enough in an area they would avoid and the safe areas where the Bureau, and they're unofficial partnership, the U.N., would never step in. Like Troy. Though most people thought it a lawless pocket of abscess, Johnny had many connections there, along with the people in Zepp.

"Can either one of you find whoever it was?" she asked her guardians mentally.

Both of them answered in the negative as she turned to the carriage. The vehicle itself was not spectacular by any means, but the way that it moved was. With a few set incantations, it would activate the inert magics embedded in the wheels and the will of the driver would propel it forward.

"Moroumetz, what's wrong?" Ky asked, joining her at the edge of the alleyway. He seemed perturbed that she just dashed away when the threat on her life was still present. In addition, he had to continually remind herself to treat her as a co-worker.

Taking one last forlorn look at the alley, she shook her head dejectedly before starting back to the magic driven carriage, "It was just my imagination." Before stepping into the back seat, she turned back one last time to the alley. If there was someone watching her, she hoped that they'd quickly lose interest in her. As far as she was concerned, she was just Luveria Mourometz.

-

The trip to the Prime Minister's location was uneventful, save for a little hassle regarding placing of their airship. There was quite a few groups of people traveling into the area via airship and there was not enough room to accommodate everyone.

The airships were certainly different than the ones she had seen from Zepp and the Mayship. However, she could tell the one she had taken with Ky, and the ones in the airport, were severely overworked and underpowered. She could only guess as to whether those were either hand-me-downs from the short lived air force of the U.N., or simply prototypes adjusted for mass production dating before the Crusades.

Granted, the Mayship was an old vessel. A composite of several other freighters, it was an excellent combination of a base of operations, cargo vessel, and even a warship when it needed to be. However, the crew that she had was far more inventive and because of a self taught expertise, she could hear the hum of magic flowing through the engines smoothly.

Such was not the case with the craft the looked like a fish turned on its side. Despite looking smooth and streamlined, the structure looked like it wasn't balanced enough to support its own weight for a long period of time while in flight. With a bit of proper restructuring on the frame, Dizzy could imagine it being used for extended flights to possibly A-Country, or even the Hakachi, the remains of the Japanese country.

Walking a step behind Ky, Dizzy looked to the groups of people conversing energetically. Though they themselves were nothing out of the ordinary, their manner of clothing seemed exotic, along with the wagons that the larger airships had unloaded for them. They had crowded around the airship docks, performing various acts and eats, as well as looking like a joyous group, smiles on their faces and that sense that they would welcome anybody, catching Dizzy's immediate attention.

Noticing her interest in the other arrivals, Ky said casually. "Those are gypsies. Nomads, basically. They belong to no country and move about as they wish."

Enchanted by a stunning woman carrying her adorable daughter, Dizzy remarked, "It seems nice..."

As much as Ky didn't want to put a damper on her good mood, he felt it best to know. "However, not many people like them. For their often used as scapegoats whenever burglaries occur."

Displeased with his reply, she asked why that was so.

"Theirs is not an easy existence. They have to perform their best in order to receive the money they need for their food. And since the U.N. doesn't exactly recognize them, it makes getting work quite difficult."

As both of them exited the airship station, which included a long line of security measures and annoying hassles, she continued, "So, how do they survive?"

Ky shrugged as the entered the streets of Mullhouse. "They just do. They don't have much choice, otherwise they'd either have to give up their way of life or perish."

She remained quiet as they continued the walk through the bazaar and to the central plaza where the taxi-cab taking them to where the Prime Minister would be waiting.

Countless street vendors crowded the streets and many customers moved from one venue to another. There was so much to take in all at once, Dizzy felt slightly overwhelmed at all that was taking place in front of her. The shops and little tents with items had people screaming to passer-bys to look at what they had or what not. It was a general thing for gypsies to hang around places like the exits of the airship ports to try and get a good sale or a few extra World Dollars.

The buildings were similar to the designs those used in Paris, pre-Crusades styles used more than three centuries in the past. However, these had been updated and maintained. In fact, one could even note that they looked in better shape than the ones in Paris because of its lack of conflict in the wars.

As they entered the central plaza, Dizzy's gaze found a statue, standing upright and towering over the populace like a gargoyle, defending its denizens from anything that would bring it ill.

However, the figure itself was covered in a long and voluminous cloak, yet what few features of its bone structure identified it as a female. Beneath the hood, all Dizzy could see a mask. With only a horizontal slit for the person within to see out, the mask itself left Dizzy uneasy. Like there was something frightening hiding behind it, waiting for someone foolhardy enough to look behind at his or her peril.

"What's that?" Dizzy asked as calmly as she could.

Looking up to the statue, Ky blinked in recognition. "Oh, that's one of the first heroes of the Crusades. She came to be known as The Sorceress, because of her amazing ability to manipulate magic. She was also the one to discover and use a few of the Divine Implements when she fought the Gears in Warsaw. Despite working with the Holy Order for nearly eight years, the U.N. still claims to have made the Fire Seal and the Thunder Seal from Fredrick's designs."

Dizzy's brow furrowed at one of the names. From what she had learned, the man Ky had briefly mentioned was the one that made the Implements. "Fredrick... but if he made the Implements, how come he didn't use them?"

"No one knows. All that we are aware of is from what the Sorceress learned and what she knew was is that his lab was destroyed shortly after he made them. During her travels, the Sorceress discovered Fredrick's weapons and plans."

Dizzy looked back to the statue. Recalling just how powerful the sword Ky wielded to be. The magic moving through it was greater than any other weapon she had seen men use. However, something was missing. "If the Sorceress was so powerful, how come the war continued the way it did?"

"Once her work in Warsaw was done, she tried traveling to Geneva to give the plans and weapons to the U.N., thinking they'd make better use of them, but she didn't survive the trip. Since then, the U.N.'s done everything they could to convince people they created the weapons. They've even gone so far as to call the Sorceress a fraud and a liar. However, the testimony of the first members of the Holy Order have refuted them at every turn."

Dizzy's thoughts somehow returned to the frightening hammer her father wielded. Could that had been one of the Implements? It made sense, considering that the very touch of it caused her pain. She knew very well of Ky's own weapon and realized that she had always stood on the opposite side of the scabbard. Her fear of the Thunder Seal had even reached to the level of instinct.

She and Ky continued through the ports until they reached the area where their transportation was waiting for them. She spotted the taxi she assumed that they'd be riding was followed a step behind Ky as they made their way through the crowd.

Surely enough, the familiar hum of the magic powering the vehicle came within her range of hearing. However, there was an additional whine whispering alongside the dull roar of the magic generator in the vehicle. Normal people couldn't hear the shriek that came from the other voice, but it was audible as the roar of the crowd was to her. More than that, it wasn't a good hum. On instinct, she reached forward and grabbed Ky's elbow.

Confused, Ky turned to her. He was about to ask why when he noticed the fear in her eyes.

"Something... something's wrong..." Dizzy whispered as her eyes widened in fear. She was looking directly at the taxi like a scared animal hunted by a predator. He turned back to the carriage, not noticing her accelerated breathing as the whine grew louder. When it reached a peak that Dizzy was well aware of, she instinctively tackled Ky. "Look out!"

The instant they hit the ground, the vehicle exploded. Several nearby pedestrians were tossed around like dolls, among the countless pieces of debris that comprised the carriage.

As the blast subsided, Ky looked up in shock at what had just transpired. They were only ten meters away from the carriage and so the worst either one suffered was bruises at worst. However, the civilians caught in the blast, along with the driver, were not as fortunate.

"Luveria," Ky said quickly, making sure to user her given name, rather than the one everyone knew her by, "help get the wounded away from the blast sight! I'll look for the driver!"

Nodding vigorously, Dizzy hopped to her feet and dashed to the nearest casualty.

Waving his palm in front of his face, Ky used a handkerchief with his other hand to keep the dust out of his mouth as he walked to what remained of the car. Pushing the upper half of the frame out of the way, he pulled the motionless body of the driver out of the rubble and onto the sidewalk in front of the statue.

With a sigh of relief, he saw the local police enter and began assisting with the clean up. They had been walking around the area, as the police liked to keep a close eye on these gypsie areas, for exactly the reasons Ky had labeled earlier, and the noise brought them circling in on the destruction from all over. He was questioned at first about the event, but they soon got to tending casualties and sifting through debris, the act to be done more important than a few litigations at that moment. He often took glance at Dizzy assisting a random officer move one of the injured to a safer location as medics and a few ambulance carriages arrived on the scene.

Putting his fingers on the driver's neck he hoped to find a pulse, if he could find one, the man could still be safe. There was nothing. But not wanting to give up, he searched for a closer vein to the heart. Again, he found nothing.

With a slump of his head, he sighed in defeat. This poor man was dead and he was simply doing his job. Removing the robe of his Holy Knight uniform, he draped it over the man's face, covering as much as he could with it's small length compared to his tall height.

Collapsing to a cross-legged position, he wondered to himself what kind of man this person was. Whatever they were, they were gone. Ky wanted to tell himself that he was more than used to all the death and destruction he had seen, however, this proved that he was simply fooling himself.

When Dizzy's shadow crawled over his shoulder, he turned to her with a forlorn look. Her face was patched with dirt and her clothes were smudged slightly from the tumble taken. He stood up and whispered, "It's too late for him..."

Alternating between him and the corpse, Dizzy was almost ready to demand an explanation why this happened. He could not answer her question, for he had been searching for it for years. Stepping past her, he walked to the captain of the local police hoping to be able to get some idea as to how to proceed. He had thought this was the man he could approach, as he was the one yelling out orders to every other soldier and was the first to rush to the scene, given the loud noise of the explosion.

He didn't bother turning around when Dizzy, for reasons beyond herself, slowly lifted Ky's jacket off the man's relatively untouched face. The blood stains on his face only made her heart heavier. She reached forward and heard the fading heartbeat, getting slower with every passing instant. She knew she could do nothing for this poor man, at best she could probably ease his suffering with what little time he had left.

What everyone had called the energy source, 'magic' was something different to her senses. It was more than just charges of 'estus', 'crispo', 'pulvis', 'lumen', 'ventus', and 'animus'. It was nature itself. Somehow, she could hear nature's energy moving beyond the range of humans' hearing. More than that, she could also gather from around her and use the energy within her own body for whatever purpose she deemed necessary.

Guiding that power from the air around her and in her, she ebbed a little into the dying man, hoping to ease his pain.

Gears, she knew, could easily project the magic they were powered by. And though it was easy to send out pure magic as a weapon, using it as a pain-killer or repairing mechanism was a different story entirely. Regardless, she poured magic from her hands and into the wounds, forcing the cells, bones, and tissues to slowly regenerate.

If Ky was right, then even her efforts to bring a little comfort to this man would ultimately be futile. However, that still didn't stop her. She remembered Thursday; the sickly little girl that had been saved by Johnny when May rescued him before she joined the Pirates. She had inevitably perished, but she lived long enough to meet Dizzy and it was there she first discovered her ability to heal and comfort.

"Just rest..." she whispered and was about to say more when she noticed a tear starting to trickle down from one of the sides of his eyes.

When she realized that she and Ky had judged his fate prematurely, she turned to her guardian and cried, "Ky! He's alive!"

Ky muttered an "excuse me" to the police captain, and turning quickly, rushed back to Dizzy's location and saw what the girl had discovered. He put his hand on the man's chest, and despite his own anxiety, discovered a weak, though existent, heartbeat.

The captain walked off in the distance, ordering off a few more of his officers and leaving his interaction with Ky dead as it were, continuing on. In the back of Kiske's mind, he secretly thought that he either didn't know who he was or had a distaste for Ky, since he didn't act like most would to him, in the reverence and thanks for ending the Crusades. He had to swallow his pride, knowing that heroes of past wars are often forgotten when peace is prevalent.

He didn't waste time as he lifted the man and quickly carried him to one of the nearly departing ambulance carriages. Every second counted as he ordered the driver to get the driver to the hospital as soon as possible.

When the vehicle sped away, Ky watched in visible relief as Dizzy stepped up to his side with his soiled jacket in hand. She smiled slightly to him as he took back the dirtied piece of clothing. Before slinging the garment over his arm, he realized that this was most likely going to be a living man's blood instead of a dead man's one. He wasn't sure why, but the former was more calming than the latter.

He bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanks to God. A life had been spared when he had judged wrongly, for which he also asked for forgiveness. Realizing how the dying man had a chance to live, he turned to Dizzy.

"How did you know he was alive? I was sure he was dead."

Not completely sure how it happened herself, she shrugged. "He seemed to be in pain... so I was just trying to soothe that and then I saw the tear and...well, you know the rest."

He nodded as he took a seat in front of the statue of The Sorceress. Taking another look at the exhausted Dizzy, he wondered what exactly his prejudices against her had to say about this.

Gears don't save humans beings from dying. Their powers were only used to the destruction of the human race. So, why? Why did he find it so hard to believe that a Gear had saved a man's life through her control over magic? He realized that he was staring at her with the same inscrutable gaze when he had told him her story of her short-lived childhood. Noticing her becoming uncomfortable under his sight, he looked off and saw the French Prime Minister's own car arrive and the owner stepping towards them.

The minister himself was an elderly man. With a beard that almost stuck out from his chin like a porcupine and red tinted glasses that hid his eyes from those speaking with him. He was slightly bent, most likely due to his increasing years. In fact, he held the appearance of a wiry puppeteer rather than that of a prime minister.

Right behind him, his granddaughter Cornelia hopped behind him calmly. With several large blond curls, she had the pristine appearance of a doll. Her smile held the same sort of mischief a girl of eight years would have. Her modest and plain dress swished around her knees as she kept pace with her grandfather.

"Greetings, Mr. Kiske," he said casually, as though he were oblivious to the chaos about him.

Ky nodded cordially, slightly embarrassed that his appearance was slightly marred due to the bomb. "Prime Minister. Sorry we're not as presentable as we would like to be."

The older man waved it off. "It can't be helped. There are forces at work that wish to disrupt the lives of people that have done nothing wrong. And they've moved faster than I've thought."

Dizzy spoke up inquisitively, "Sir?"

The Prime Minister turned to her and for a second, his eyes gazing at her like he was trying to look into her soul through her eyes. As uncomfortable as it was, he stopped as soon as the unpleasantness began and regarded them both. "We can talk about what we've learned so far at a 'safe house'."

Dizzy turned to her guardian questioningly.

"A safe house is a term used to designate a place one can hide in relative security."

Picking up on Ky's explanation; Prime Minister Poret said, "Relative is such a vague term, Officer. Temporary is much more suited to our situation. In fact, I'm taking a risk coming out to meet you. Here, we can discuss what we need to do once we're out of sight."

Gesturing to his carriage, Ky and Dizzy followed him obediently as they stepped into the vehicle.

-

Reclining on a rocking chair that had somehow survived the years of the Crusades, the Prime Minister groaned in appreciation as his granddaughter hopped off to another room.

"Now then, I would have preferred to bring you to my home and have a meal prepared, but I'm afraid we've not the time as things stand."

Taking seats across from the Prime Minister, Dizzy took in her surroundings with awe. The main room had a marvelous view of the city. With the midday sun shining on the river beside the town, Dizzy would have loved to be able just to take in the marvelous sight. However, she knew the purpose for bringing her as she returned her attention to the older man. Pulling out of her satchel the antique typewriter, she quickly got to typing the words she heard, a dry click of every combinations of letters echoing the conversation. She had never really typed before, but she got a little practice on the airship to Mulhouse, and picking it up quite easily, to Ky's dismay at the Gear's adaptively keenness, and her slight joy at the click it made by every letter she pressed.

"I thank your recorder here for keeping things up to date, but... how shall I put this..." the Prime Minister said, stroking his wiry beard, "Officer Kiske, may I inquire as to the character of the recorder present?"

Confused, Dizzy and Ky glanced to each other before Ky answered, "she's new, sir. But I don't know how that applies to..."

"...the reason why is because I want this report apocryphitic. 'Off the record', so to speak."

Ky was taken back. According to the I.P.F. Code, recorders were to take down everything they could regarding administration of law. There was little levity one could use when it came to recordings. In almost every scenario, recorders that made reports 'off the record' were fired and incarcerated. It was a very precarious action to take, especially so in Dizzy's case.

"Why, Prime Minister?"

Ky's eyes looked past the glasses of the Prime Minister's and into the dark brown orbs speaking in all seriousness. "The robots that look like you and their creators... you know of whom I speak."

Dizzy hands froze in mid stroke. Ky also felt his heart stop. His eyes traveled to Dizzy's scared look. Quickly, she regained her composure and looked to him. She was confused, not knowing what recorders were to do when occasions like this arose. However, knowing that both of them were in the cross-hairs of the Bureau's ire, Ky nodded to her.

"Though new, I believe she can be trusted to secrecy. She and I have been in acquaintance in the past."

There was a protocol among the Holy Order to secrecy whenever rumor spread. It always circulated among the higher officers, and their aids. And it was only passed to those that they knew that could be trusted. The validity of the Sorceress' claims being a case in point.

Dizzy's face grew worried as she turned to the Prime Minister. She could tell this older man was no fool. His grizzled features spoke volumes of his cunning and intelligence. It was almost physically evident that he could not be lied to. The older man's gaze turned away from her and back to Ky's as he began.

"Very well... As you know Mr. Kiske, when I found one of the kidnappers to bear a striking resemblance to you, I recalled a report made by you several months back regarding the Postwar Administration Bureau."

Ky nodded. "Yes, sir. It was dismissed due to lack of evidence on my part." When Ky attempted to bring the remains of one of those Robo-Kys, the remains had vanished when he had placed them in safe keeping. Someone had known about it and taken the scrap before he could present it to the heads of the IPF.

"So I heard. People started to doubt your credibility when they received word of the incident."

The statement made Ky's jaw clench in slight irritation. Since then, he had wisely kept silent on all matters regarding the Bureau. The last thing he needed was everyone around him to think him paranoid, as if his exploits with these "Robo-Ky" menaces weren't infamous enough at his own police station.

"However, I may have something that may be of some interest to you." He turned to the other room and called to his granddaughter, "Cornelia, please bring it in here."

Both Dizzy and Ky saw the granddaughter carry in both of her small hands what appeared to be a head. Both gasped until they realized it was the head of one of the Robo-Ky's they has seen in the past.

Carefully, Cornelia placed the head upon the table separating the three occupants. Almost methodically, the child then retreated into the other room, only to bring out an energy pack, and hook it up to the head. The small pack seemed like it was ripped out of the body that was also attached to the head, the wires around it looking like broken veins. She attached two small clamps from the head to the pack, with a surgical care, like she had done it many times before.

To the duo's surprise, the head's eyes flared to life and they heard the sound of what could have been servos speeding up to bring the head's CPU online.

"I've enlisted the help of some people knowledgeable of the workings of these... monstrosities. And discovered a few things you'd find of interest." He turned to the head and said, "Who do you serve?"

"BZZT-THE-POST-WAR-ADMINISTRATIONBUREAU."

"What is your purpose?"

The Head, by some process completely oblivious to their reasoning, responded, "BZZT-AQUISITION-OF-KEY-FIGURES-FOR-ACCELERATION-OF-THE-WORLD-STATE-PROJECT. BZZT."

"Who are these 'key figures'?"

"BZZT-PRIME-MINISTERS-OF-THE-SECOND-EUROPEAN-UNION. BZZT-ALL-RENEGAGE-JAPANESE. BZZT-THE-COMMANDER-GEAR."

Upon hearing the last name, Ky spoke up a little surprised at hearing Dizzy being referred to. "I heard she was defeated by a bounty hunter." He tried not to look at his protectorate to his right, but hearing his charge being named as a target by these machines was not something that could be taken lightly. Dizzy tried to remain professional as she typed in word for word the dialog she was hearing.

Again, the robot spoke up, "BZZT-WE-HAVE-REASON-TO-BELIEVE-THE-BOUNTY-HUNTER-CREATED-A-FABRICATION-REGARDING-THE-GEAR'S-DEATH. BZZT-UNTIL-EVIDENCE-IS-PRESENTED-WE-SHALL-CONTINUE-SEARCHING."

"Where did the search lead to and what happened?" Ky asked, not noticing the Prime Minster's concentrated gaze on Ky's intensity.

"BZZT-UNCOMFIRMED-REPORTS-SUGGESTED-THE-COMMANDER-GEAR-WAS-IN-LEAGUE-WIT-JOHNNY-SFONDI-OF-THE-JELLYFISH-PIRATES-TERRORIST-GROUP. BZZT-A-RECENT-RAID-ON-THE-UNREGISTERED-MAYSHIP-CONFIRMED-ITS-EXISTENCE. BZZT-SUBJECT-RESISTED-AND-IS-BELIEVED-DEAD-ALONG-WITH-THE-PIRATES."

There was a long pause as the three kept their gaze on the seemingly docile head. Dizzy wasn't sure if it was a blessing being believed dead by these machines or not. However, the news of her friends' confirmed deaths placed a heavy weight on her heart. She had not seen them die, but she wasn't sure if they were able to survive the ensuing explosion either.

Knowing that Ky had no further questions for the head, Gepetto continued, "What is the reason for imitating Officer Ky Kiske?"

"BZZT-FOR-MAINTENANCE-OF-LAW-AND-ORDER-ACCORDING-TO-THE-WORLD-STATE-PROJECT-IN-DEPTH-EMULTAION-OF-KISKE'S-BATTLE-CAPABILTY-MUST-BE-OBTAINED."

Not liking where the conversation was heading, Ky asked, "And once that's done?"

"BZZT-SUBJECT-WILL-BE-DELETED."

Ky felt as if he had been struck on the face. Was he really of that little worth to the government now, aside from being a test subject? Somehow, this machine was merely reciting orders it had received when it was created, but he still couldn't believe what he had heard.

Dizzy paused in the middle of her typing to look at Ky's shocked countenance. Upon reflection, she recalled being in a similar state of shock when she had learned of the bounty on her head. She understood Ky's situation now more than he ever would know.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Mr. Kiske, but if you didn't hear that, then you would have discovered that far too late to do us any good."

Forcing himself to move on, Ky asked the Prime Minister, "No one uses computers as far as I'm aware. If I remember correctly, the most advanced piece of pre-Crusades tech used are radios. Most things operate using magic and the relays to re-create the effect they once had."

Gepetto gave Ky a wry smile. "You'd be surprised how much of the technology of the Old World survived. It was lost to the general populace and it still is out of fear of the Crusades. But there are organizations out there that utilize computers and advanced machines that do things once thought impossible."

Dizzy, hoping she wasn't speaking out of turn, spoke up, "Like, the United Nations?"

Gepetto snorted. "Of course not. If they did, they'd feel superior enough to actually try and rebel against the ones that are controlling them."

Ky added solemnly, looking back at the mechanical head. "Like the Bureau."

Gepetto nodded. "Since the secret of the Gears' creation was lost over a century ago, they had to adapt their plans. Once they lost the one known as Testament, the Bureau knew they had to use something safer to combat the Gear menace. However, what they needed was the perfect example to emulate for the prototypes."

Ky's eyebrow cocked in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes. By the time they learned how to create the Proto-type, Kliff was well past his prime and of no use to them. So, they chose the next best model for their Imitation Series: You, Officer Kiske."

Ky folded his arms. "But for what purpose? If they use imitations of the Thunder Seal, what reason would there be to mass produce these things if the only Gear threat comes from the random attack from a 'Brute' or 'Roc'?"

Gepetto stood up, much to the dismay of his back and walked to the window. "We have a few theories as to what they have planned for this 'World-State' project they have, but nothing definite. Regardless, we can't expect it to be good."

"We?"

"The other Prime Ministers of the Second European Union. As a member of the International Police Force, you should be more attentive of recent events. I was not the only head of a country that was assaulted."

Dizzy nodded in recollection. "He's right. The Prime Ministers of England, Germany, Finland, Spain, Poland, Italy, and Greece were also reported to have had had assaults on them by these robots."

"However, what the assailants did not expect was the Ministers were more than capable of fending for themselves. So they escaped and soon we started talking with each other about what may have brought this around." He turned to them once more, the sun in the from the window slightly obscuring their vision of him. "Though, we all knew we had seen the face of our attacker before, and it was clarified that it was Ky Kiske. If they did one thing wrong, it's not quite the best representation." Ky chuckled slightly at the joke, Dizzy blushing, but neither wanting to laugh in seeming out of place. "I do not know if they were trying to frame the criminals as you or not, but if that was their intention, they failed horribly. Turns out that the Bureau was not happy at seeing people resist their warped ideals. So, they wanted to kidnap us and 'show us the error of our ways' it seemed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Not a month earlier, I found that a goodly portion of the monthly budget was being diverted to an umbrella account for reasons that I was not privy to. I was able to confront those responsible and found out that the money was 'appropriated' for a U.N. Sanctioned project without even consulting me. They advised me to leave well enough alone, despite the fact it was not theirs to toy with. I persisted and was inevitably attacked."

Gepetto sat on his chair once more, evidently tired of setting the stage for his guests. However, he was far from done as he looked into Ky's eyes. "I will not take such actions for their plans lying down. So, Mr. Kiske, I have a special assignment for you."

Looking from Dizzy to the Prime Minister, Ky looked straight back. "I'm ready, sir."

"I assume that despite your outstanding reputation, you have the capacity to acquire information from... shall we say, less than savory characters that turn out to be true?"

Ky frowned slightly, yet nodded nevertheless. Sometimes information impossible to gain legally had to be obtained through other means. Every once in a while, he would venture to Troy in disguise to hunt for a criminal that had taken refuge there and what few contacts he had there had proved to be invaluable.

"Very well then... logically, there must be a place... a facility, a factory somewhere in Europe where those things are being produced. All I need is the location and I'll authorize a raid using soldiers appropriate to the task, with you at its head. I suggest you inform your co-worker here the necessary procedures for acquiring the evidence you need. Once we put the Bureau's existence into the public's eyesight, we can finally begin hammering the nails on the their coffin."

It was shocking that Ky would find such an ally in the government he had grown to distrust as for the past year. To make it even better, vindication was practically within arm's reach. However, it seemed just a little too good to be true.

"That's not all, is there more?" he asked calmly.

Gepetto matched his serious face and added in a dire tone. "Officially, you two will be on an extended leave of absence. This whole operation will be what is termed a 'Black Op'. Totally deniable by those who initiated it, meaning I and the other Prime Ministers. If you are caught, then you will fall alone, Mr. Kiske. I feel somewhat bad asking you to take this mission, but if can imagine the possibilities of our inaction, then you won't be hesitant to accept."

Ky closed his eyes and silently groaned in frustration. Of course. Things this easy always came with a steep price. Often steeper than he was willing to pay. Immediately, images of capture and inevitable prosecution by the World Court made the prospect very unappealing. To think, the hero who saved the world and ended the Crusades would then be put up on charges of treason against humanity…

He then recalled a previous conversation with Johnny as he was investigating an 'updated' bounty list he had received from a Nightwalker. The pirate had callously remarked that the system which he adhered to was so severely twisted that the most cruel and unusual of punishments had the seal of officialism on them.

The pirate's words were confirmed when he was ordered to search and capture the pirate May, upon confirmation of being Japanese. Then the witch hunts of the militia leaders supposedly training Gears. The liquidation of the Blackard company.

Things as it were had gone on long enough. If things could not be changed the way the system was supposed to work, then he was left with no alternative.

He looked to the Prime Minister and said with no doubt in his voice, "I'll get you the location you need within two weeks. Make sure your men are ready."

End of Chapter 4

2-07-05 Update notes:

Let's see... changed transportation modes – Check

Added descriptions of 'magic' utilizations – Check

Added decriptions of airships – Check

As a side note: I figured large, bulky, and cumbersome as a design for the ships since there hasn't been a lot of time to truly refine their designs. So, I thought of the Mon Calamari cruisers from Star Wars: RotJ. Only made on earth and a lot less useful.

Added description of 'magic' in relation to Dizzy – Check

Added Extra dialogue and scenes for the talked between Ky and Gepetto – Check

Replaced underscores with dashes - Check

Oh, and now I realize that the Thursday mentioned here was also inspired by Samuraiter's 'Corpus Et Mortalis'. All hail Samuraiter!

And, there was always something I was wondering about the 'magic' in relevance as an energy source. I would assume that since it used several types of energy from nature, each element would have some sort of name derived when referred to, rather than just 'magic'. So...

estus – heat

crispo – water

pulvis – earth

lumus – light (for lightning, evidently)

ventus – wind

animus - spirit

Old notes:

Again; many thanks goes out to Zero Nova for his assistance in beta reading this chapter.

I am guilty of borrowing various bits of 'fanon' and other sources of inspiration from other fics throughout this chapter. And so to avoid incrimination, here they are;

Troy's standing outside of U.N. jurisdiction comes from Zero Nova's 'Desolate Gail: Dual Enmity'.

Warsaw not falling to the Gears during the Crusades, also from 'Desolate Gail'.

The magic driven carriages from Samuraiter's 'Corpus Et Mortalis'

Dizzy being able to heal from Croik's 'Culmination'... though I also had the idea, she got it out first in her story. So, I figure she gets credit for it.

The Robo-Ky interrogation, also from Croik's 'Culmination'. Though the purposes for both hers and my story are the same, I hope they're different enough to avoid any accusation of plagiarism. Here's hoping. crosses fingers

As for the Prime Minister... well, he's not an original character. He comes from yet another game. Again, as in the previous chapter, if you can figure it out, you get a good laugh at my expense and enough fanfic points to get a useless toiletry.

From Samuraiter's review, he noted that there wasn't much tension going on. I hope that this can alleviate that problem. And the story's finally starting to come around. With any luck, perhaps, it'll even be around the size of one of Zero Nova's arcs from Desolate Gail, two if I'm lucky. The trick, though, is actually getting something written of that size with my limited schedule... though, I think I can with Zero cracking the whip every now and then. :)

Hope you all enjoyed this story so far. If so, then it means I've done my job. But of course, leaving a review is always a nice thing to do. Nice and long and detailed. Those are the best kinds.

Finally; of all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy, Arc Systems, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and Sol Badguy.


	5. House of Make Believe

In a void beyond the sight of everyday people, two separate intelligences exchanged a heated volley of words and ideas.

"I don't like it... I don't like it at all."

"Nor I, but it's necessary."

"Necessary to lie"

"...Yes."

"I wonder if there's anything she's found out herself after all this time."

"It's unlikely. She's been too busy trying to survive to notice."

"Except when she was with the Pirates. She was actually paying attention to where she was and what she was doing. She had friends... loved ones. She was happy."

"And now that she's back to merely surviving, she'll won't be able to notice the change until it's too late."

"And we're not letting her know that because..."

"Because she cannot grow with help from others. The responsibility has always been hers."

"And what about our responsibility to her? I do not like seeing her in such distress... she must be told"

"Told what, Undine! Aside from the fact she can control countless Gears with little to no effort, she can now also do the same with humans to a smaller degree? She fears her powers enough as it is."

"But..."

"That human, Anna, she never would have opened up, no matter how much Dizzy would have asked. Dizzy's powers are growing and unless she learns how to control it herself, there may be an incident and not even that bounty hunter will be able to help us"

"...I still worry for her, Necro."

"...I know, Undine. I feel the same."

From his safe-house, Prime Minister Gepetto Poret watched with interest as he saw the airship, carrying Ky Kiske and the reorder back to Paris. It had been quite an enlightening meeting. In fact, it gave the Prime Minister a good idea as to the character of the hero of the Crusades. The Shadow Hearts had little to worry.

A ring of the phone brought him out of his thoughts as he took the receiver on his desk. If this was whom he thought it was...

He spoke into the mouthpiece calmly. "Hello, Hildegard."

Though slightly astonished, the woman in question asked, "Is Kiske gone"

"Around half an hour ago. I was wondering when you'd call."

"I was hoping you'd be the one to call me, Matej. The others were wondering when we can expect to move forward."

The older man reclined casually in his chair as turned to watch the setting sun behind his red glasses. "A few more weeks. Once Kiske makes some noise at the Bureau, they'll be in such a panic at the thought of someone attacking them, we'll have the chance we need."

Hildegard was not as optimistic. "There is so much that can go wrong with this plan, Matej. I know Kiske's desperate for some evidence of the Bureau's existence, but to go so far and attack an enemy he hardly knows is quite dangerous. We still need him."

The French Prime Minister rolled his eyes, understanding the rhetoric behind his accomplice's words. "Yes, yes. I know. Our 'associates' want him to be the one to turn the tide of public opinion against the Bureau and the U.N."

To the Shadow Hearts, the U.N. was nothing more than a reincarnation of Rome. A mighty tree that could not be toppled on the outside, but rotted and hollowed from within, given enough time and the right type of termites, like Kiske. Without Justice to show them their place, the arrogance in the higher ups of the government was larger by the day in their higher-up status; they thought themselves almost royalty. Which inevitably led the leaders of the international councils to believe themselves the only ones capable of passing law when they did not live among they people they were supposed to serve. Such was the reason why he had decided to aid the Shadow Hearts, despite the fact he was born a member of the organization.

Hlidegard quickly added, "And speaking of our 'associates..."

Gepetto, knowing what was coming next, quickly replied, "Yes. The Gear girl was with him." He recalled the somewhat scared look perpetually in her eyes and shook his head in sympathy. "Poor child. Being thrown into all this mess with little subtext."

Hildegard's tone grew morose. "At least the ignorant sleep better."

Gepetto frowned slightly. "Somehow I doubt that. People fear the unknown greater than what they do know."

Hildegard seemed unperturbed as she continued. "So all we have to do is let the public know about the World-State project. With a little help from Ky, naturally. The more people that dislike it, the more resistance they'll find."

"Are you sure people will listen to him, even after the Crusades?"

"That depends. If we can show to the people he's still the hero he was during the Crusades, the people will side with him. A good number still know and respect him. He's been careful about the Bureau ever since the proto-types appeared."

Gepetto sighed, recalling the almost fanatical enthusiasm in Ky's eyes. It was true it could be used for a good cause, but it was just as easy for it to be twisted into something worse. "Perhaps, but there's a part of him that still longs for the Crusades. I fear that may take a hold of him and he won't even notice."

Hildegard's voice carried an amused undertone. "The little boy can't let go of his blanket, eh"

He frowned. "A crude analogy, but it works nonetheless."

Hildegard continued in a calm manner. "Don't worry. When he realizes this isn't the Crusades, he'll wise up if he wants to survive. Besides, I believe his taking care of the Gear girl will be good for him."

Gepetto turned one last time to the sunset where Kiske and the Gear were most likely over the horizon on their way to Paris. "I can only hope you're right. I don't want to wonder what could happen if he fails."

Reading between the transcripts she had typed and the one given to her from the Prime Minister, Dizzy meticulously recounted over all the details she had recorded. While at the same time, cross-checking the 'facts' of the official report she was to turn in once they returned to Paris. True, she was a quick study, but Ky imagined she was no stranger to this kind of deception and deceit amongst people he knew, and her childish side was an obvious dead-ringer from having lived with the Jellyfish Pirates for nearly a year.

It was not as difficult as one would think to acquire falsified reports, identification markings, and what not for the sake of getting into a port under U.N. jurisdiction. Johnny Sfondi was no fool and knew how to operate under the suspicious eye of the I.P.F.

"Luveria." Ky said, looking from the window of their cabin to her.

In a surprisingly professional manner, she looked up from the report and addressed him like a co-worker. "Yes, Mr. Kiske"

The look in his eyes was almost apologetic. "When we left the Prime Minister's apartment, I realized something too late."

Her gaze grew melancholy, a common theme with how she always appeared. He had seen her once after she had joined the Pirates, and recalled how happy she had seemed. However, whatever smiles she had found with her friends had died with the Mayship. "I think you're referring to the attack on the factory the Bureau has, right"

"Yes."

She nodded calmly. Then she paused for a moment, gathering the courage to ask something of him. He had always seen that in other soldiers during the Crusades, whenever they were to ask something that they thought awkward. "Actually, I was wondering if you would allow me to come."

Ky raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, Dizzy was never the kind to act aggressively. Though she would have been a good help in laying waste to the factory he was determined to find, the fact she was volunteering to go was not something to be ignored. "What brought this on"

Dizzy's look was still the same innocent and child-like demeanor he had always known, yet, there was something else there too. "Those things killed my friends... but I know that destroying them won't bring them back... but..."

Ky remained dispassionate as Dizzy struggled to continue. He was well aware of her fondness for Johnny, May, and the other Pirates and the loss was a vicious blow to his protectorate. He had to admit; in spite of the fact he and Johnny were on opposing sides of the law, they had a solid respect for each other.

He was fully aware of all the things that Johnny had done. Everyone of the girls that served on his ship were orphaned and would have suffered a crueler fate had they simply been tossed to the four winds, as what the U.N had done in the past when they were

unable to take care of a world littered with countless orphans.

"But if I do nothing, then they may do the same thing to someone else. I... I don't think I could live with myself if that were to happen."

Ky saw the resigned determination in her eyes and knew this was what she wanted. It must not have been easy for her to ask such a thing of him. He was torn between refusing her request out of her safety and letting her go.

If she were to come, she could certainly create a sizable amount of damage, given her power. However, the risk was if the Bureau had as many eyes as Sol and the Prime Minister had said, then the hunt for her would resume in force. And it would inevitably lead them to him. Not to mention how to explain taking her with him to the Paris branch of the IPF.

However, if she were to stay, he would be violating the... 'promise' Sol had placed in him to watch over Dizzy. As desperately as he wanted to vindicate himself, he knew where he had to keep his priorities. Worst of all, the possibility that the Bureau would likely find her living in his house while he was gone was high, and just as bad as taking her with him.

Finding himself at an impasse, he sighed and looked to her. "I now realize that I acted too hastily without thinking of how it would affect you. So, the only thing I can do is let you make the choice. Though I already know what your answer is going to be."

Dizzy nodded solemnly. "Thank you."

Though their discourse had been limited, Ky could tell there was something changing in the hybrid girl. He still couldn't help but pity her, knowing very little happiness and love in her life due to circumstances beyond her control.

He returned to his gaze of the sun setting in the west and would have let his mind wander over the list of possible names that could furnish him with the information he needed.

"Um... Mr. Kiske"

Blinking, he turned back to Dizzy as she finished with placing the false report into her satchel and the real report on her lap.

"If... if I may, can I ask you something"

Again, he found himself being surprised by her growing boldness. "Yes"

She held her hand close to her chin, almost scared to bring to light what she was thinking of. "I remember... back in your living room. There was a picture of a younger you and a woman... was that your mother"

Knowing immediately what she was referring to he nodded. "Yes. She was my foster mother, Azriel."

He also knew she wanted to continue the discourse, and despite his reservations about divulging his past, felt compelled to do so. After all, Dizzy had told him of her past when he had asked her. She looked as if she wanted to ask a question but stopped. They sat in silence for a moment, Dizzy looking back out her window, and Ky feeling the bumps and turbulence of the air before he sighed and started speaking.

"You want to ask me something else?" he said, she looked at him afterwards and nodded somewhat delightfully that he knew and could tell.

"Do you remember much of her"

He shook his head. "Not much. I was only in her care for four years before I joined the Holy Order. All the memories I have are the ones buried in that picture. She was often ostracized by the people of the town I lived in for reasons that were never explained. I never learned why, because after I left for Geneva, Gears had attacked the town. There were no survivors."

Dizzy listened with definite interests as he continued, including the heavy air about his voice as he went on. She noted, how despondent he seemed, talking about someone he was supposed to have loved. It had hurt him visibly and he was simply holding all the pain inside for someone else's sake. What she found odd, though, was how calmly he spoke about her.

Whenever she thought of her father and mother, she felt a warmth that made the pain a bit more bearable. Her father and mother were still waiting for her... and she would return to them. If there was anything she truly wanted, she would have brought her parents out of Porvoo-3 and either have them work with Johnny to keep him in line or help the other orphans that Johnny had taken in.

She was brought out of her memories as she looked back to Ky. One didn't need to be psychic to see that he was in turmoil with bringing the memories back up.

He looked to the ground as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say. "She was very kind... but for a reason I could never tell, she was always... sad. It was like... I..."

With every passing moment, he found his will to disclose his past weakening. It was like old scars being ripped open on his heart as he finally laid back and muttered, feeling ashamed to look at her. "I'm sorry... I can't say anymore..."

She nodded in understanding, though slightly disappointed to know how closed up her guardian was.

"Please, don't misunderstand me. It was nothing you did... it's just..." he looked back to her, his face as morose as the clouds gathering in the sky around their ship"...when you spoke about Iliya... your face lit up in such a way that... you could go back to it over and over if you so wished. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't just a bit jealous of what you had."

Dizzy, sensing the hurt in his tone turned from him to the window. She could feel the slight tint of bitterness, but knew it wasn't directed at her. Only the precious memories he evidently never knew. The clouds darkened the cabin and her mood as well. The heaviness Ky felt was something she was all too aware of.

Was this how the world of humans truly was? A world starved for affection that held none, leaving it full of those just as angered and bitter as those that had gone on before them?

She hoped not.

The trip had taken a bigger toll then either one had expected. It was already nightfall and a gentle breeze was blowing through the streets as they marched wearily into Ky's house. The both placed their respective gear against the wall of the main room as he flipped on the switch to turn the lights on.

"'Bout time you got back" an unmistakable voice grumbled from the chair at Ky's desk.

Ky's senses flared to life and whirled around to see the smirking Sol, reclining casually against the desk with a cigarette in his mouth and the lazy purple smoke sitting in a cloud above his head.

Even Dizzy was surprised, not being able to hear him when they had arrived. On instinct she moved against the wall out of fear of Sol's power and imposing self. He hadn't need to move or say anything, but looking at her made her fearful to her very bones and sent a shiver down her spine, it's how Sol was.

"Sol! What are you doing here" Ky asked incredulously, reaching for his sword. He would have drawn it had Sol's foot not landed on the handle, keeping it sheathed.

"Keep yer damn head on, boy. I'm just passing through" he said with his usual cocky attitude. The bounty hunter reached into a back pocket and casually tossed Ky what looked like two small and frayed books.

Ky caught the small book, roughly no larger than a leaflet he had seen before he had joined the Holy Order. Looking over the cover, the paper that it once had was worn to the point where the title was long since gone.

"What's this" Ky asked, trying to keep his mind focused on the subject at hand, rather than simply telling Sol to be gone.

Sol frowned at him. "Didn't Hildegard tell you? Damn. Does everyone need to hold your hand or something, boy"

"Hildegard..." Ky muttered, then recalled the phone call from the mysterious person who went by said name. Ky stepped back in astonishment upon knowing that the woman on the other line had told him the truth. His grudge with Sol forgotten, he looked over the book in his hands and then back to Sol.

"These are the 'old stories' you told me about"

The bounty hunter nodded before stepping past him and walking to the door, but not without stopping by Dizzy and giving her a look that would have counted as an odd and twisted version of what would pass as concern.

"Is this why the Jellyfish pirates are dead? Over some old books!" Ky asked in shock and anger. Though, by all rights an enemy to Johnny, he still found it wrong that he was hunted just because he had some old books in his possession.

With his hand on the door, Sol grunted what would pass for a 'yes'. "But it's more than that, kid. You got a brain, use it. Damn everyone's a friggin' saint lately and wants all the answers, no one wants to figure anything out…"

Ky was about to follow him when Sol had already slammed the door shut behind him, mumbling some more curses and insults at Ky. By the time Kiske had dashed out the front door, Sol was nowhere to be found. With an angered scowl, he stomped back into the house and slammed it shut.

It was the same old story. Whenever he saw Sol, all that became important was making the bounty hunter respect him as a fighter instead of looking at him like a liability or a child.

Upon seeing Dizzy's worried face, he realized that he was not in control of himself as much as he would have liked to say. With a slump of his shoulders, Ky muttered to her, "I'm sorry... every time I see him, I tell myself I won't lose control... but I do."

Sitting on the floor with a questioning gaze, she replied calmly, "It's one thing to admit having flaws, it's another to do something about them... or so my dad said."

Looking down to her, he couldn't help but nod. Knowing the kind of man Iliya was, he silently thanked the older soldier for being the kind of man he was.

"What are the books"

Turning through the pages, he pulled covers over and saw the titles written on the inside pages.

"'1984' by George Orwell and 'The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli."

Tentatively, Dizzy stood up and asked, "...may I see those"

Feeling frustrated with the lack of news and what not, he conceded and handed her the books.

Once they where in her hands, she took a seat by the couch and opened one of them carefully, being more considerate of the value of these articles than he did. Within minutes, the Gear was hopelessly mired in the books that must have been at least a century old and out of print.

It then occurred to Ky there were not a lot of books being published nowadays. Most of the depositories of books where in libraries spared from the Crusades were under tight UN control. The public were unofficially banned from all libraries until a new system of book creation that didn't use Black Tech was implemented. That was a year after the Crusades ended.

Nowadays, only those that had enough money were the only ones with hopes of getting into any sort of school. Most people simply learned how to work by learning their trade as an apprentice. There was little, if any, schooling required.

When a few frightening ideas came to mind, he knew he had to start asking around in his set of contacts. As per the French Prime Minister's words; these people were not the most savory set of people... to the UN at any rate.

Taking a seat by his desk, he picked up his phone and dialed a set of numbers that, by all rights, should not have existed in the directory of any U.N. controlled country.

Patiently, he waited for an answer as the dial tone continued to beep repeatedly for more than a minute. A set of clicks began to replace the tones and eventually another voice with a distinct Russian accent appeared on the other side of the line.

"Hello?" a baritone voice answered cordially.

He placed his hand over the lower half of his phone to keep the noise to a minimum.

"My I speak with Mr. Denisavich?"

"May I tell him who's calling, sir?"

"Mr. K. He'll know whom this is."

"Just a moment, sir. I'll connect you."

It was times like this he was grateful to God that the invention of the phone had been implemented. Not only was it vital in keeping communication lines between groups of the Holy Order open, but it keep the world from falling into a darkness that he preferred not to think about.

It wasn't long before another voice with an accent similar to the operator answered the phone, only it was much deeper. Almost artificial, considering that not even bass voices reached as low as the rumble of the person on the other line. "It's been a while, comrade."

"Yes, it has. How's the president faring these days?"

"Not too well. We've been experiencing some difficulty in the past couple of months."

Ky ventured a guess. "They wouldn't happen to do with a bunch of robots that bear a passing resemblance to me, would they"

"You would assume correct. You as well?"

"The Prime Ministers of the Second E.U., myself, and several others down here have also met these things."

"So, it seems we have a common enemy."

"That we do, and I was hoping there would be some information on your end that would help us."

"Oh?"

"Despite Zepp having more technology than anywhere else, I doubt that it could come from there. The robots seem... clunky, almost put together like patchwork. From my experience. Zepp is much more efficient with their machines than this, and if they wanted somebody dead, they'd have one of your brothers do it."

"I'm inclined to agree. Though there may be parties up here that are supplying their creators with the supplies, materials, and what not. Those that are in charge of putting them together have much to learn about creating machines."

"So, I'm going to make sure no more of those things aren't made anymore. The only problem is I don't know where they're being made. Not to mention there may be more than a few of those places."

"Hmm, it would be prudent to assume our enemy has a back-up plan should something happen. I will speak with the president tomorrow. If all goes well, I should be getting back to you in seventy-two hours from now."

"And if not?"

"I will take an airship and deliver what I have learned to you directly. Gabriel is not so foolish to deny assistance to a proven ally."

"You have my thanks, Potemkin."

"Be safe until then, comrade."

Ky hung up the phone and leaned against his hands with his fingers intertwined.

Zepp and the U.N. controlled countries had always been at odds, even during the Crusades. There had been many that believed that if Zepp and the Holy Order had combined their numbers, magical know-how, and understanding of machines, the Crusades would have ended decades ago. However, the U.N. made it abundantly clear they would not have any sort of dealings with Zepp.

It was like Zepp was a proverbial colony of lepers. No one was to go there or else face disciplinary action by the Intercontinental Court. Even then, considering Zepp was a floating continent, still flying after all these years, just finding it was difficult enough. One had to had connections to pilots that knew the flying patterns of the metal continent.

Ky had at one time brought up the concept of opening relations with Zepp to the heads of the UN, only to have it brushed aside like dust. When A-Country announced its alliance to Zepp, it only made the prospect all the more impossible. The UN had made its decision; Zepp was to be shunned at all costs. The reasons were most likely lost during the Crusades and simply accepted as law.

When he last heard, A-Country was offering sanctuary to those wishing to go to Zepp. Ever since they had pulled out of the U.N. due to accusations of being controlled by the U.N. Council via assassins, the European Union found little reason for trade and discourse with the barren country Europe once pined over several centuries back.

Looking back over his shoulder to the still reading Dizzy, he felt nothing more could be done until tomorrow. So, standing up, he walked to the kitchen and started a kettle of sunflower tea he had been meaning to have for a while. It was an A-Country flavor that he grown fond of in his travels across the world.

It slightly galled him to think that his only real source of the tea packets were only available through the bodyguard of the president of A-Country. A foul mouthed American that claimed to be Japanese. A former drug runner by the name of Chipp Zanuff. With little to no respect for authority, he wondered how the 'rehabilitated' addict was able to curry the favor of the president and become her bodyguard. He assumed it wasn't a formal job, that he was just friends and had at one time or another defended her, and he picked up that name of bodyguard.

He found himself deep into his musing to the point where he almost missed the high pitched whine of the kettle. Turning off the electrical stove, he pulled out a pair of drinking cups and poured one for himself. He was in the middle of pouring the second cup when he realized what he had been doing.

He turned back to the living room, where the Gear in his care looked more interested in the books in her hands than her present surroundings.

Did she even need nourishment the way humans did? All Gears needed were the magic to sustain their noticeably limited lifespan. Yet again, the little detail that Dizzy was an exception reared its ugly head once more. He was starting to grow frustrated with how vague everything was starting to become. It was always simple and easy to know that you have to kill Gears and killing was easy, but understanding, living, knowing a Gear was a little more…difficult.

He was well aware that the world was not in black or white, however, if there was too many shades of gray, then there'd be no distinction between virtue and vice. Right was right and wrong was wrong. That's all there was to it.

Still struggling with what to do, he simply filled the rest of the second cup, before placing it on the small circular plate and putting them on the stand near where she sat. He hoped his movements were silent enough not to disturb her reading. He said nothing, not noticing Dizzy pulled her gaze from the book to him.

She looked to the still steaming cup and then to the kitchen. Cautiously, she reached up and felt the warmth of the liquid within. Slowly curling her index finger around the handle, she made sure to carry the Coalport teacup with extra care as she carefully sipped its contents, making sure to do take in too much, lest it burn her tongue. She muttered a silent thank you to him, though he wouldn't hear it.

There was an unusual taste in the tea. It wasn't something she could place a name to considering her limited palette. As pleasant as the drink was, there was something... somehow that gave it a somewhat sour aftertaste. She had heard somewhere that sometimes the emotion of the creator sometimes seeped into their work.

She may have been wrong, but she felt that the tea's taste was somewhat marred by the reluctant kindness inside the tea. Regardless, she slowly finished the cup and placed it back on the plate to resume her reading. though, once again, her spirits were dampened by the almost... callous manner her guardian treated her with.

With the communication lines closed, Potemkin placed the palette of paints on the ground of his humble studio and began to consider a few questions he could ask the president of possible explanations. If Kiske's enemy was his enemy as well, there would most likely be problems, for the Republic of Zepp was not as unified as the people on the ground thought.

The Machina Faction, along with their cousins, the League of Industry, were stirring up trouble more and more with every passing month. Though their actions never resulted in violence, Potemkin was beginning to wonder just how timely all their demonstrations against the current governing republic were. If Kiske was correct about the abduction attempts, then it looked like the Bureau's plans were being set into motion, but if people as important as the Prime Ministers were evading capture, their situation could be a bit more desperate than Kiske was aware of.

Putting that thought off to the side, he returned his attention to the painting he had been struggling with ever since he was freed from his bonds. He was more than capable of doing practically anything. He could paint a sunset or a sunrise with more than enough time to spare to capture the moment. Duplicate the image of a person and make it just as lifelike as though someone had taken a photo. To him, painting was a way to relax and express himself, and he had enough demons in his past to try and lock them away at any chance he got.

Yet, the piece in front of him had not only been painted and repainted several times over, with slight signs of the previous idea working itself in the color. His first painting was the remains of the skyscraper that had once been the headquarters of the empire. Then, he had changed into a mist-covered glade in the first moments of sunlight. Then, it became a woman with azure blue hair in a toga from a long lost era.

He cocked an eyebrow, remembering that the woman had been the Half-Gear hybrid he was to subdue and capture. He, did, however, not regret leaving her to the care of the one called Johnny Sfondi.

He had spoken to the Gear girl, for a reason beyond him, and remembered she was named Dizzy. He could tell she had the ability of a Commander Gear, however, the fact she had a desire to do no harm to those around her made her quite a different thing in his eyes. She was an anomaly with the power of the Gears, yet with the heart of gold often found in children.

What surprised him most was when she asked if she could be his friend. She was often alone and even the sub-Commander Gear was of little comfort to her, he assumed, and contact was never passed up. No one had ever asked him such a thing.

As far as he could remember, he was just another monstrosity, created on an assembly line to be tossed away when his use came to an end. The thought of having a friend was almost foreign to him. Regardless, he had accepted, knowing what could come of that. His only friend before that was Gabriel, and that friendship was more of a united-cause type of friendship.

That conversation and her smile became a treasured memory to him. He knew the chances of seeing his... 'friend' again were slight, but he would wait, nonetheless.

He closed his white and pupil-less eyes in remembrance of her request to be left in peace. He honored her wishes and though the President reprimanded him, Gabriel soon understood his reasoning. The giant had even gone so far as to ask that she be left alone, despite the boon she could have brought to Zepp.

It was one of those rare times the President had given him a smile and was patted his shoulder, saying how grateful he was that Potemkin was not a politician. It was honoring to hear that.

"Excuse me, sir," an attendant said, stepping into his humble studio.

"Yes?" the giant soldier replied casually as he placed his brush on the palette once again.

"I brought the paints you had requested, sir," the petit unformed woman said, placing the tray on one of the seats near him.

"My thanks. Oh, and one more thing," he rumbled, getting to his feet.

"Yes, sir?" she said casually.

Without warning, Potemkin's massive fists slammed into the torso of the woman, sending her sailing into the wall. The instant she hit, her limbs fell apart with several bolts of electricity. Metal nuts, bolts, and wire fell into a messy heap on the floor.

Drawing his gargantuan fists back, he grumbled to the intact head of the robot, hoping that its masters were watching. "You will pay dearly for underestimating Zepp."

He had known that this robot, set up to look exactly like one of the attendants to the higher ranking soldiers, was watching him for a while. He had his suspicions ever since he took on and crushed a small horde of those robotic versions of Kiske. Being careful to make sure they weren't aware, he continued going about his business, making sure that any information the robot acquired was false.

With every step, the multiple paintings shook and a few threatened to fall from the wall. The remains of the robots head looked to the giant as its foot drew upward like a guillotine.

"As far as I'm concerned... this is an act of war!"

The head of the robot was crushed beneath half a ton of muscle. Leaving nothing to salvage should anyone try to clean it up.

End of Chapter 5

Notes: Another chapter made in under a month. I'm surprised, to be honest. I never wrote this fast before. But enough of that.

The name Matej, is derived from the name Matej Kopecky, one of the oldest and well known puppeteers. And if that doesn't give away who the old man is, then I recommend you start playing more RPGs. And Samuraiter, you guessed right in your review, but you're wrong about one thing: she's looking at me. :p

Though I know Dizzy's a pacifist through and through, I would figure that given the set of circumstances she's been going through would give her a reason to actually fight, though reluctantly. After all, in one of the GGX Plus endings, given enough time, she's not only more sure of herself, she's also a leader of several battalions of various soldiers. Don't believe me? Check out the GameFaqs, it's a good game though we never got it over here.

Speaking of which, in one of Potemkin's endings, it shows the big guy painting a picture of Dizzy in a toga, believe it or not. I find it surprising that not many people don't take advantage of the fact that despite all appearances, Potemkin is actually one of the smarter characters in GG. Oh, and Potemkin's last name comes from the character Ivan Denisovich from the book 'A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The decision to add the books as part of the stories were done on a moment of inspiration, as was Potemkin's whole scene, since I wasn't sure how to end the chapter. Though they were both last minute, I'm happy with what I came up with, since it's relevent to the point where it's almost vital. Besides, there are more characters in GG than just Sol and Ky, after all.

All things GG belongs to Sammy, and Daisuke Ishiwatari.


	6. A Pack of Lies

The island of Crete was known for being a wasteland. It was one of the first areas that were completely leveled by Justice during the wars and became a heavy Gear outpost. With nothing but the ocean to stand in their way, they had clear access to Greece, Turkey, and Egypt.

When the war ended, all attempts to rebuild on the island were thwarted time and time again by a 'nest' of Gears that had yet to succumb to the present day powers. The large aerial Gears known as 'Roc's, named after the gargantuan bird of legend, could not be brought down by normal means. They were simply too large and often existed too numerously in their packs for any hope of obliterating them. However, to those in the surrounding areas, they hardly ever went far enough from their island to do any damage to the populace in the surrounding countries. Primarily, it was simply too far for them to bother. Secondly, only those ships, air or sea, that traveled close enough to the island were the only targets the Rocs aimed for. Eventually, the routes went around the island and the UN and IPF would hope the beasts would inevitably die out since they couldn't live forever, unlike Justice and Testament.

The greater irony was, it was the best spot for an underwater or underground base or factory. There would be no one to disturb whoever wished to build in those areas since the Rocs only lived above ground and it left no mark to be seen by the visible eye.

It was also the place where the infamous 'Robo-Ky' soldiers of the Post War Administration Bureau were being built in the region... or so said the information that Potemkin had supplied Ky with.

On a pier of the still rebuilding Grecian city, of Athens, Ky stood with his arms folded. It was something to do keep his arms from dangling and keeping his concentration, the other to keep warm. Though it was still spring, the mornings next to oceans were always cold. It would be some hours before the sun would rise and warm the beach.

Beside him, Dizzy, the hybrid Gear and his protectorate slept, curled up against a pole. Though they were more than prepared to meet the Prime Minister of Greece and the men Gepetto had mentioned a few weeks prior, they both figured they had to get as much sleep as they could.

Even if the factory was as secret as the Bureau wished to believe, Ky had no reason to believe that it was defenseless. There was a list of other former Holy Order soldiers he would have also enlisted for this raid.

Of the list of men, only three names stood out more than the others. Jaygus, a confidant of his during the Parisian base attack and subsequent missions during the last part of the Crusades, but the name carried an interesting weight to it that he tried not to think of. Rivarez; a soldier that had distinguished himself during the battle for Lyon. He was about to name the last one, but he had to forcibly remind himself that Darton was gone. He wanted to see the man live. Wanted to see him get out of the Order and on with the life he wanted to live. Most of all, he wanted to apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Taking another turn from his charge, he slowly went to his knees, clasped his hands together, and whispered words that only he knew of to the God he felt had preserved his life for this long.

He wanted to believe that he was doing the right thing. He was without options in the legal side of his work and no matter what; there were forces that were determined to undermine his efforts to bring peace. Now, here he was. Conducting a secret raid. Moving through the shadows, just like those who wished him ill. Then, a frightening thought came to mind. Was he becoming no better than the Bureau?

"So, even the greatest of paladins seek the comfort of Allah before going into battle, eh?"

Turning around, he saw a squad of men, covered in black jump suits and equipped to accomplish their goal. Some held unusual scopes on their foreheads and loaded packs on their belts and or waists.

The leader of the squad stepped forward and pulled off his headgear. A plat of disshelved dusty blond hair fell around his shoulders, and it did little to cover the scar running upwards of his cheek. What worried Ky most was the seemingly permanent scowl that seemed etched into his face and his eyes were either the result of a lack of sleep or simply a mean attitude. Despite this, the man reached forward and extended his hand.

"Haan Hazrat. Nice to meet you, Mr. Kiske."

Though surprised, Ky extended his hand and shook Haan's, noticing the firm and slightly tight grip he had.

"Thank you for coming. Though I can't say I'm just a bit nervous considering all that's happening."

Another voice answered from the shadows. "You needn't worry. When it comes to saboteurs, this man and his group are the best."

Both turned to see a new visitor step into the light as Dizzy began to stir.

Ky couldn't tell if there was derision or admiration in Haan's tone as he said, "You like doing that too much, Calcos." He was a medium sized man in an official suit shrugged with a casual smile. He ran his hand over his hairless head and sighed, evidently not used to working in hours as late as this. Despite being nearly a decade older than Ky, he seemed no less dangerous than Haan or his compatriots. In fact, Ky felt slightly uncomfortable whenever he smiled, because of the almost reptilian nature of his face.

"It's not every day the leader of a rebuilding country get to engage in warfare... indirectly of course. After all, in a twisted sort of way, I miss the Crusades and this is a rare opportunity."

Noticing Ky's cocked eyebrow, Haan answered Ky's unasked question, "This is the Prime Minister of Greece, Aeon Calcos. He was just the first to take the position after being the head of the Olympus Militia for most of his life."

Taking note of Dizzy standing up behind him, he replied, "It's not surprising. Most of the heads of state are volunteers. Everyone else is too busy trying to survive."

Nodding, Aeon smiled that reptilian smile, "I can agree. Though I can't deny the benefits. So, I think I can stand being the Prime Minister for a little while longer."

Haan snorted, "Liar, you'd stay there for the rest of your life if you didn't have to step down in another two years."

Aeon turned to Haan and smirked, "You are right, lying is what we politicians do best," he turned his predatory gaze to Ky, "And I assume our prestigious Mr. Kiske knows that all too well, dealing with the heads of the U.N."

Ky knew he was being baited, but kept his opinion to himself as he tried to change the subject, "I assume we're going to be going to the island by water, right?"

Placing his hands in his pockets, Aeon's smirk grew, "Give the man a cigar. However, you're going in a slightly different manner than you expected."

Ky was about to ask when one of Haan's subordinates tossed Ky and Dizzy a pair of black body suits. Made to cover the whole body, he noticed a pair of goggles and a mouthpiece with a glowing blue stick on one side and a white one on the other.

Aeon was on the verge of laughing at his disbelief when he asked, "Tell me, Mr. Kiske. How good are you at swimming?"

"What? You intend for us to swim all the way to Crete? It's got to be over several hundred kilometers from here."

Aeon frowned. "Of course not. You all will be stowing on a cargo ship heading to Thira. From there, you'll be using some equipment we 'acquired' from some pre-Crusades storage rooms to make it to the island undetected. Once there, you wreck the place, your information officer will get some files from their database and you'll leave the eastern part of the island to Karpathos, where you'll join another one of our squads. From there, it's to Turkey and once you get back into the E.U. nations, you're done!"

"What about the Rocs?"

"They can't go far from Crete. Once you get to Karpathos, you'll be out of their control zone. And that's not the only thing. You're not in U.N. territory when you get to Rhodes and Turkey. They've been rather hostile to U.N. folk nowadays. Civil unrest and all that. So, you'd best be on your toes until you get back to Greece."

Haan grumbled as his men started to march onto the cargo ship, "Even then, the Bureau won't be too happy to have their little toys busted, so they'll be even more alert than ever."

Aeon stepped forward and handed Ky a set of folded papers. "These are the most up to date plans we got of the factory. You'll need to find a way in without letting yourselves known, shutting down their alarms so they can't call for help, and getting out of there as soon as possible."

Placing the plans in his pocket, he cocked his eyebrow. "That goes without saying."

All humor gone from Aeon's face, he nodded. "Glad to see we are in agreement, Mr. Kiske."

Not feeling very tactful at the moment, he spoke quietly, "If I may ask, Prime Minister, why exactly are you doing this?"

Aeon's almost bloodthirsty smile appeared. "What makes you think I'll tell you the truth?"

In response, Ky frowned. "Because we both are fighting the same enemy."

A small chuckle emanated from Aeon as he stepped up and stood face to face with Ky. "Just because your enemy and my enemy are one in the same, does not make us friends. You want your facade of a world peace. I want my position as long as I can keep it. And that is a truth I do not shame myself in admitting. If you want to live in your little fantasy world where everything comes as you think it should, then so be it, but I assure you, Kiske. Keep looking up and you will fall hard from the things you don't wanna see."

Not backing down from Aeon's transparent challenge, Ky answered in kind. "I am not ignorant of the things around me, Prime Minister. Not to mention the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But that does not, nor will it, deter me from doing what I believe to be right."

Aeon's toothy grin grew as he started to laugh more audibly. "You really are as naive as they say. And just as arrogant."

"My arrogance, sir, extends just as far as my conscience demands."

Aeon stepped back and placed his hand on his chest. "Oh, forgive me, Lord Kiske. I wasn't aware you were elected Viceroy during the intervening years of the Crusades. That's what they do to heroes, don't they?"

"Aeon, that's enough!" Haan said from the freighter. "We're going to miss the current!"

Ky and Aeon's standoff continued before the Prime Minister retreated. With a malicious smirk, he said, "better get going, hero. Destiny calls."

Their gazes didn't detach as Dizzy's footsteps brought Ky back to reality. He gave one last glare to Aeon before stepping onto the plank and onto the freighter.

Within minutes, the boat's whistle bellowed for the early morning cargo shipment to depart. Slowly and powered by magic generators used by most transportation, the boat left the harbor and departed from the docks.

Returning to the shadows, Aeon considered the words Ky had uttered before their parting and snorting. "He just doesn't get it..."

A new voice accompanied his footsteps. "I wouldn't count on his ignorance. Though he is naive about some things, he's far from as foolish as you think him to be."

Frowning, Aeon yanked a gladius hidden in his suit and pointed the tip at the newcomer, knowing full well whom it was. "What would you know, nightwalker!"

Blowing a ring of smoke from his pipe, Slayer smiled pleasantly as he stepped beside the Prime Minister. "When you have lived as long as I have, young man, you notice things."

Aeon wanted to retort that he was hardly young, but had to remind himself with whom he was dealing with. Slayer then surprised him again by casually moving the tip of his sword downward and saying in an almost fatherly voice, "Come now, you may hurt someone with that."

Reluctantly, Aeon complied and sheathed it within his suit.

"You've been rather tense lately." Slayer observed.

"What do you expect? I'm just as scared as Hildegard. For all we know, the Bureau may have placed an agent in the men Gepetto hired."

Slayer cocked an eyebrow at his statement. "Would you rather have gone with him yourself?"

"I would have. I could never trust a mercenary. However, my duty as the Minister has to come first... though I'd rather just be done with it."

Again, Slayer was surprised at Aeon's confession. "Ah, so you belie what the stereotypical politician is, hm?"

Aeon's shoulder's actually slumped for once. "To an extent... nowadays, it's just all secrecy and no rest... I'm sick of it."

Slayer muttered in an almost fatherly fashion, "be patient. The turning point will come and once that happens, you'll get a short respite."

Knowing precisely what the vampire was referring to, Aeon nodded and replied in complete seriousness. "And after that, we'll see..."

* * *

With a scowl etched into his face, Ky sat on a chair with his arms folded, almost looking like a scolded child throwing a fit. The Prime Minister had reminded him too much of Sol and it angered him to have treated the things he held so dear so lightly. Across the aisle, Dizzy, still in her civilian uniform watched him and the slowly brightening horizon with evident worry.

The boat they had gotten on was a normal cargo one, crates stacked all in the bottom of the hull, but a nice section built in the center for transportation of a few people, but it was a hidden compartment, probably used for smuggling illegal objects. Funny how it now smuggled the head of the IPF, sitting on an old cushioned seat, two rows of seats on each side of the box room, the seats facing each other. Kiske sat on one side, Dizzy a few seats down, and Haan across from him. They had been in relative silence for the most of the trip thus far, but Haan had noticed the glint of Ky's shifty eyes, a tell-tale sign of the inner working going on behind the azure spheres.

"Don't let him get to you," Haan said casually, taking a seat beside him.

"Hm?" Ky said, looking to the Pakistani operative.

"Aeon does that all the time. His bridge isn't entirely stable, if you know what I mean..." Haan said twirling his index finer around his ear. "It's what a schizo like him does. He burns them as quick as he makes them to save his own ass as quick as he can."

When he got confused looks from both Dizzy and Ky, he continued, "The Olympus Militia had a nightmare of a time keeping Testament away from the refugee camps during the Crusades. In some cases, the Militia felt they had to revive the traditions of the Spartans in order to make the strongest soldiers to fend off the Gears. There have been rumors, but some say that Calcos got so insane with adrenaline that he actually tried to eat the remains of a few Gears after the fight was over. The magic was still inside the meat and it changed him for the worse. Though it was a miracle they survived, no one dared confront him about it because of the look he got in his eye."

The statement got the expected reaction from them, and anyone else that had heard it in the past.

"He... ate the flesh of Gears?" Dizzy asked in a fit of unbridled shock.

Haan shrugged casually as though it were common knowledge. "Again, it's just a rumor, but I wouldn't discount it. You saw the look in his eyes, Kiske. You'd know that better than anyone."

Ky blinked at the last part of Haan's reply. "Me?"

"Yeah. You fought in Brest, didn't you? Anyone who went through there must have seen Mourometz the Berserker or at least heard of him."

"Illiya Moroumetz?"

"Yep. Poor guy was one of those that got one of those 'faulty Outrage" weapons you hear about in the Black Market. Drove him crazy in battle and put half of his squads in intensive care. That's the reason why his men survived is because he did less harm to them than the Gears did."

Before Ky could continue, Dizzy had lost her balance and nearly fell off her chair at the name her father was referred by. More than that, she looked to Haan with a look of visible displeasure. She got back up onto her seat, blaming it on the rocking of the ocean before continuing.

"How... how can you talk about my dad that way?"

Haan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Your dad?"

Taking over, Ky gestured to his charge. "Mr. Hazrat, this is Luveria Moroumetz. Illiya's daughter."

Realizing he had spoken too much, he slapped his hand over his mouth, but it was too late in a polite manner.

"Oh... I didn't know. I was just told that an information officer was going to be coming with Kiske. I had no idea that it was Moroumetz's daughter."

Ky stepped up and put his hand on Dizzy's shoulder in hopes of calming her down. Though it did work, she did throw him a look that spoke volumes of her grievances against Haan's words.

"But... you are right... I saw that thing he had... but what made the Earth Seal faulty?"

Knowing he was getting in the clear, Haan cleared his throat. "Most people think it's because the U.N. tried to replicate Fredrick's designs. But without Fredrick, they weren't able to make them right. So, they used test subjects in the Order to see if could do it. You, Kiske, have one of the few actual working pieces... if the Black Market gossip I hear is true."

This time, it was Ky's turn to frown at Haan. "How do you know so much about the Implements?"

Haan smirked in a manner similar to Aeon's. "You can get anything you like on the Black Market if you know how to haggle. Weapons, plans, sex, information. It's all for sale to the right buyer. But if it makes you feel any better, Kiske, most of the Order's dirty secrets are common knowledge and most don't even care. Some even asked for their money back, come to think of it."

Ky then took his seat beside Dizzy and looked at Haan directly in the eyes. "And what makes you think that you know everything?"

Haan shrugged. "I don't. I just know a lot. And the method I know is this." He rubbed his thumb and the side of his index finger together, an old pre-Crusades gesture for money. "Everyone's got their price, Kiske. What's yours?"

The frown on Ky's face deepened. "So... all this is just for lucre for you and your men?"

"Of course. What do you expect? People can't get by on altruism and in all honesty, we couldn't care less about the Shadow Hearts' war with the Bureau."

"The Shadow Hearts?"

Leaning against the wall, Haan nodded. "Yeah. Some pre-Crusades group that consists of leaders from the E.U. Been keeping the balances of power since the pre-Crusades era, or so they say. All that matters to us is how tangible their cash is. If it wasn't for the fact they hired and conscript people to do their dirty work, they'd be completely helpless."

This time, Dizzy spoke up quietly. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Why?"

"I remember speaking with the Prime Minister of France... and if he's one of those... Shadow Hearts, as you put it, then there's something more he's hiding. For all I know, we may just be a diversion for them to keep the Bureau's eyes off them."

Again, Haan shrugged. "Maybe, but it doesn't matter to us much who's in charge; the U.N., the Bureau, or the Shadow Hearts. We'll still operate how we see fit."

Ky's face remained neutral as he retorted. "Not if some of the proposals at the heads of the UN go through. You may be out of a job."

"Huh?"

"The heads are starting to consider dissolving the bounty system and disbanding all mercenary groups. Takes too large of the revenue from the public coffers, they say."

Now it was Haan's turn to be appalled. "That's a load of bullshit! What right do they have telling us how to operate?"

"I agree. I even opposed them, but they're seriously considering them since there's been several large mishaps within the last year in the system. Namely, that incident in Dresden-4 back in seventy-nine, but more over that it helps out my organization, the IPF."

Though calmed down a bit, Haan was still visibly disgruntled. "Just 'cause some people are being paranoid about seeing some Gear that supposed to be like Justice? You can't be serious!"

Dizzy turned away from the conversation when the subject of her bounty was brought up. She didn't like being hunted for money. Though happy to know when the Pirates took her in, the bounty was taken down; it still mystified her how a hunter like Bridget came into a list that still had her on it.

"So, Mr. Hazrat. It looks like we're in the same boat whether we like it or not."

"Ohho, I agree... and if those pricks at the U.N. think they can send a bunch of bucket heads to take my job, they're going to be in for a nasty surprise."

* * *

"Humans are a violent lot, aren't they?" a figure that only Dizzy could see said hovering over her. It was the same red haired woman she had seen in her dreams, only this time she had emerged from her dreams and had pestered her for the past several days. Being the only one that could see her, Dizzy was beginning to wonder if she was going mad.

The woman's golden eyes gleamed in delight. "Oh, not mad, child. Only seeing the truth for what these humans are."

"You know nothing of them..." Dizzy replied mentally, not wishing to speak out loud as Ky and Haan continued to speak of the plans they were to make at sundown that day.

"Oh really? Deny it all you wish, but your very existence is a threat to them. Remember?" She placed her hand on her chest and recited those very words Ky had told her when he was hunting her in the grove, using his voice.

"I don't want to hurt anyone..." Dizzy said looking away.

"If only that were possible... but it's not. Not for a monster."

Dizzy looked back to the woman and frowned. "I'm not a monster..."

The woman shrugged smugly, "If not, then what are you? A human? Preposterous. A Gear? No. The fact that you live creates fear, panic, and hate among humans. Therefore, you're a monster..."

Dizzy calmly covered her face with her palms and started to sob slowly, trying to hold it within her lungs. She wasn't a monster. She was Luveria Moroumetz.

"Just a pet name given by those with no children of their own. Dizzy or Luveria. It doesn't matter what you're called. It changes NOTHING!" the woman howled with a sadistic glee. Her laughter then reverberated throughout Dizzy's head as she tried vainly to shut the noise out. It was strange that not even Undine or Necro could see this incarnation of her nightmares... worse; it meant she was alone in dealing with this specter.

"Please... just leave me alone..." she whispered quietly.

Amid her laughing, the woman shook her head. "Not until you realize the truth... the horrid and disgusting truth that you refuse to see!"

"You're lying... lying... lying..."

"Am I now?" she said before covering her mouth for a moment and then resumed speaking, using Ky's voice. "Why? Why do I have to be stuck watching over this thing? Gears were meant to be killed, not taken care of."

She gasped and looked to the woman again as she changed voices. This time to May. "Stupid Gear... trying to take my Johnny from me. Why'd he have to bring that freak on board?"

"No..."

Again, it changed voices, this time, to her father's, "Could taking her in have been a mistake? She's brought nothing but trouble to us."

"NO!"

Both Ky and Haan looked to her in confusion at her sudden outburst. She looked to them in horror, wondering how to explain. Placing her hands on her knees, she said timidly, "Sorry... I... just dozed off and... I had a nightmare."

Though Haan nodded and accepted her story, the look Ky gave her said he was suspecting something. How could she possibly confide in him? How could she explain the dreams? The visions? How?

She couldn't. Nor would she.

End of Chapter 6

Whew... and another chapter finished. Once again, thanks to Zero for being the beta here.

We gots cameos galore here. Haan Hazrat's a mystic from the recently finished manga series 3X3 eyes, so just put up a search and you'll find a picture of him. And of course, the only character not to be given a proper portrait, Aeon Calcos from Soul Calibur. I know that I'm going kinda berserk with all the cameos, but they're not going to be in the primary focus of the story. That's Ky and Dizzy's separate and individual roles.

And to my elation, there's finally going to be some action in this story! That's the real reason you're here. Plot and character development? Don't be silly. We all know what it's all about and it's about destructive and pointless violence with lotsa explosions! Woo!

Then, we gots the further gap between our two heroes! Gasp! Shock! And Horror! If we had a dramatic narrator, he'd be going onto the point where he'd be fired about now. So, be glad we don't have one. :p

Oh, and before I forget, Ky's remark about his arrogance and his concience comes from the movie 'Chariots of Fire'. Been a while since I've seen it, but I recall it quite fondly. Go check it out.

Finally; all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy, Daisuke Ishiwatari/Sol Badguy, and Arc Systems.


	7. Nobody Else

A man took slow and cautious steps on the pier as the deep-sea water lapped at his feet, surging through the planks and over the sides of the wharf. Decked out in a dark gray jumpsuit, ladled with deceptively heavy half plate of armor, his lumus-powered shock staff was ready to give an unpleasant surprise to intruders. Surrounding both sides of the pier, underwater rail tracks, now empty at the moment, led onto the loading station further back into the cavern.

A voice in his ear rang, "TK-240, anything to report?"

Keeping his gaze wary, he pulled a microphone, attached to a small disc on his ear, close to his mouth. "Reporting. Nothing here at the moment."

"Are 241 through 245 nearby and within eyesight?"

He whirled around to one of the overhanging walkway to the entrance of the installation, another at the far pier, a third walking around the entrance to the factory, a fourth watching him from the far corner, and the final watching from the archer's nest.

He nodded before looking back out to the water. "Yes. All members present and accounted for. Nothing wrong as far as I know."

"Keep an eye out, though, last transmission from Greece said some suspicious characters were heading our way yesterday."

Again, the guard nodded. "Not only that... it's been too quiet. The Gears topside haven't been on a rampage for a while. I don't like it."

"Understood. Continue surveillance until the danger's passed. When the Rocs start making a ruckus, we'll be pulling you guys out."

"Understood. Over and out." Turning off the receiver, he took another round up of his fellow guards, noting that even their omnipresent surveillance still had holes in it and the sooner he and his men got out, the better. The atmosphere in the facility was full of tension and a few of them were ready to crack if they didn't get out of there soon. He didn't want one of his men disappearing only to be found a week later in tatters from being picked off from a silent Roc.

He turned back to the edge of the pier, when he felt a blade lightly pierce the base of his left trapezius. He suddenly found himself facing a man in a black body suit with goggles that were tinted red and a 'cripso breather' that could have only been used by deep sea divers.

In a voice muffled by the breather, the intruder said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Pay attention next time."

He was about to cry out for his companions when liquid pain shot through his body from the point of entry. A pain so intense that he lost all control of his sense and he collapsed. As his eyes closed, his head leaned backwards towards the installation, he saw the rest of his squad already fallen, lying over railings or slumped over at their posts, either knocked out or dead. He'd find out soon which of the two it was in a few moments.

* * *

"'Bout time," Haan grumbled as he tore off his breather and mask. Noting how well his men had taken out all six guards in less than ten seconds. For a second, he considered the handy little devices known by divers as 'gills'. Using solidified 'crispo', it had created an almost infinite amount of air for deep-sea divers to use when going under water. The goggles, normal glass when mixed with estus enabled them to achieve an interesting infrared scope to keep them at a safe enough distance to attack. Not only had it let them see through almost lightless environments, body heat also showed up in slight margins of brightness. It also made looking at a light or looking at a person almost the same, so it was hard to tell at that amount. 

Turning around, he noticed the temporary recruits in their little raid. The hero responsible for ending the Crusades and a companion meant to gather information about the factory and the other locations similar to this one. Though he was sure of the ability of the former, the latter gave him cause to worry since she was just an office worker and most likely having no experience whatsoever.

"Hurry, we don't got much time. They're gonna be calling back on his guy's radio soon and if they don't hear him, we're done for. And, if you sustain any damage, we have an A.A. waiting off shore on our recovery craft."

"It's not a real A.A., since A.A. are U.N. sanctioned."

"It's the same damn thing, Kiske. Let's go."

Nodding, both Ky and Luveria dashed past him and into the entryway. Taking another look to the sea, he made a note where the method of their transport was still waiting for them. A few hand signals later and silent moves of the squad, they were at the door.

The door was in the center of the building on the peer, the overhanging railway above it had a few guards, and the pier had a couple as well, but the large architecture was odd for only having one door such as this. Haan noted there had to be another way in or out for their shipments, possibly underground. Didn't matter to him, this was his job. One of his top men got in the way of the door, took out a sword stuck it into the keyhole and pushed a button on the handle of the blade. A loud hiss lasted a few seconds as the lock was burned away, and the exposed handle now shone in the dull night light like a beacon of hope.

Each of them were equipped with the goggles, breathers, and two weapons. The first was an Estus blade, filled with magic, it was meant for close combat fighting with Gears, that would discharge a lethal dose of explosive magic into the target. Smaller doses were often used to incapacitate human targets when necessary. One would think the weapons were two long knives attatched to the blunt ends of each other, with a thin metal tube between them. Though useful enough as a sharp melee weapon, the real use of it was the central 'pipe' that would serve as a delivery system to send the solidified magic into the target. The magic charge would be delivered from a small chamber in the handle, where the user would pull a trigger and send the charge into the tip. One would never need to ever truly change the chamber itself, for it was comprised of a material that gathered the magic like a magnet, however the amount of charges one could use in its lifetime was quite limited. Henceforth, it, like any other weapon utilizing magic, had to be used sparingly.

The other was a single shot rifle that held a metal rod, large and thick enough to pierce a Gear or human surprisingly easy. At the back of the bolt, there was a charge of ventus to propel the bolt forward and at great velocity. Great care had to be taken to make sure the shot was never wasted, otherwise, they would most likely find themselves at the mercy of their enemy. Once the bolt was fired, the weapon was pretty much useless unless one had additional bolts similiarly equiped with ventus.

There were three parts of the factory. The beginning hallways, leading to who knows where. After the labyrinth of hallways was the factory, and in the back of the factory were the production offices, built onto the factory floor. The objective for Haan and his men was to place several charges, made from materials during the first years of the Crusades and destroy the production machines.

With the limited amount of time they had, Haan had his team went in first, then shoved Ky and the female in before shutting it behind him, looking out behind him, then followed the rest of him men into the factory.

With frantic footsteps, Ky unsheathed the Thunder Seal and kept his eyes open for any possible entry from other possible guards as Haan's men went through other hallways to clear the way for them. They would go to a hall, and then kneel by the closest wall, Haan making some hand signals and his team running up, clearing the way, and then signaling for him and they'd advance. There was also another soldier at the rear that kept his eyes glued behind, in case of someone flanking up from behind. Going over the plans Kiske had received from Aeon, he figured just ahead, there would be the general facility where the robotic versions of himself were being made. And right behind it would be the offices where they would be finding the information they needed.

The hallways were dark and poorly lit, which suggested that this place had at one time had much more personnel. Now, it was practically abandoned, considering that it was complete all that was needed was a set of guards to make sure men like himself did not gain any access to their workings.

Taking another quick look behind him, his charge kept pace as close she could, holding a waterproof satchel on one shoulder meant for any sets of important documents they were to look for... if the factory had any. A few more twisted hallways, taking a few weird routes, and they were getting closer. Haan had to look back to Ky, who would use a hand signal to indicate how far they'd have to go, or where they need to turn, and then Haan would relay it to his team silently. If ever they came across two intersecting corridors, they had a soldier lie down in prone in each direction until they were all across, then regrouped on the far side until they had accounted for every possibly attack vector, then continued. All of it was silent.

Once, Dizzy tried questioning Kiske as to where to go or what was happening, her soft voice a scream among the absolute silence. Haan and his men ran with the sound of mice, their foot steps like walking on clouds, and Ky had also picked up the trait from his years as a soldier, but Luveria wasn't as skilled at it, which drew constant glares from Haan. When she had opened her mouth to ask something, Ky quickly turned around and clasped his hand over her mouth. With one stern, yet sincere look into her eyes, covered in part by her frazzled blonde hair, being in such a state from their dive suits, she swallowed what words she had.

Passing through the last of the halls, Ky and Dizzy entered into a massive room. The massive double doors were pure reflective steel, the silence broken by a drone behind them. As they were slowly opened and Haan's men stealthily filed inside to secure the perimeter, weapons ready to lance anything that was a threat, the noise filtered into the hall, the cacophonous racket catching them off guard.

The main facility was easily the size of the police station they worked in. As far as the eye could see, there was metal. One conveyor belt moved the heads of the machines to a set of hands that held the aloof while some circuitry was being delicately placed inside, while another brought the limbs to where the torsos were constructed.

Dizzy held her hands over her ears as the intrusive whine of all the machinery grated her nerves. It sounded horrible. Like the sound of pain was being screamed into her ears with every screech of the machines powered by magic. Slowly lowering her hands, she moved forward as quietly as she could, trying to stay focused and not pay attention to the sounds, nor the red haired woman that had been haunting her.

What frightened Dizzy was how the woman was changing. Her eyes were still the same, but she was getting smaller, her face was becoming more delicate, and even her hair was becoming more straight and streamlined... like her own.

Getting inside, Haan slowly lowered his weapon and removed his goggles to rest on top of his head, looking back at Kiske. Stepping behind them, Haan blanched. "Looks like they had those things going around for longer than we thought. And to think they probably got a whole bunch more doing whatever it is they're doing right now."

Locating the entryway to the command offices, Ky frowned and started forward. "Not for long."

He took a quick look to make sure Dizzy was a step behind him. And with his target within sight, he charged forward, noting that the sooner they retrieved the information, the sooner they could destroy this place. Kiske gave one nod to Haan, and received one back as he went on his way solo, Haan ordering his men to fan out and secure the entire area, almost needing to yell to make sure his men heard him.

Taking a quick look around him, Kiske slightly marveled at the ruthless efficiency of Haan's men. They did their job well. Any more guards they found were silenced just as quickly as the six at the entrance. Not like there were many. A few overhanging catwalks had a few soldiers walking around, but most of them were lazy push-overs, and were efficiently disposed of.

Namely, one of them was walking above the torso creation machine. He took a moment to yawn, closing his eyes and stretch his arms, never to re-open them. Two of Haan's men had been tracking him from the level below, and then saw their opportunity; one of them acted as a base and hoisted the other up to the edge of the catwalk, the soldier grabbing with his fingers. Swinging up from underneath, the soldier quickly got on top, grabbed the man's neck, and just as the guard realized something was amiss, his neck was broken like a twig, he fell backward into the soldier and was dragged off to a hidden location. He gave a signal to his fellow mercenary on the floor below through the mesh grating of the metal catwalk, then they approached the next guard. All in all, not one of the guards had spotted one of Haan's men, at least before they were killed and no sign of any disturbance, not one alarm raised. Perfect.

Ky's detour hadn't been un-aided. Haan had sent on of his men to act as a chaperone for Ky, since he was the priority. It wasn't standard operating procedure for the group to stray off course from their prime objective, but this one was, because if they didn't secure the area, then they could be flanked from an elevated position, even if they did stick together. But, on Kiske's behalf, he should have waited for Haan's men to complete their rounds. At the back of the factory were the offices. The separation was noticeable, with five-foot high walls sectioning off offices, glowing monitors sitting in the small spaces, covered in dust, and small offices on the sides lined with faux-wood doors and glass walls. The metal floor turned to a synthetic carpet also, signaling the office portion, and it also has a slightly increased grade to it, holding it three feet above the factory floor. The acoustic engineering of it, because of its angle, cut out a lot of the noise from the factory, despite being open to it.

Creeping through the low lit office cubicles, chairs pushed neatly in, desks made perfectly, and not a single thing out of place, Kiske walked further on, his Thunder Seal in hand, Dizzy behind him, and Haan's man behind, covering the rear. They came to a short cross, where an avenue of the cubicles crossed his. He took a quick peak around the corner, to check it was clear. He looked, saw nothing, then turned back around to nod to Haan's man to clear across, then stopped. He took one more look, assured himself it was clear, then nodded. He didn't know why he hesitated…maybe he saw something, who knows. Probably his imagination.

After their crossing of the office cubicles, they came to the very back of the office section of the factory. Ironic that the office they needed was in the far back. With the door to the mission objective in front of him, Ky leaned against the wall beside the door, taking a moment to hear if anyone was inside.

"I can't hear anything... there's too much noise from those... things." He whispered back to Dizzy, whom leaned closely to hear his voice. He jiggled the handle slightly, feeling it was locked and wouldn't budge.

He stole a glance back to her, noting she seemed slightly pale. Though she was keeping pace with him, there was something that was evidently taking a toll on her. She wasn't sick... she couldn't be. Gears don't get the maladies that humans did. Even then, some of the diseases human had on a regular basis before the Crusades had vanished when the human body grew stronger thanks to duress from the war.

However, whatever was bothering her, she had kept it to herself and had been doing so for a while.

Before Ky could kick the door in, one of Haan's men stopped him, making a signal with his hand. Kiske nodded, stepping back, holding out his arm for Dizzy to step back also. The soldier put his sword at the crack of the door, ignited the charge in the blade, then fired an estus charge into the keyhole, breaking the lock, and then flinging the door wide open and jumping in onto his knees, the muzzle of his other weapon finding no one in sight to meet the same fate as the lock. Finding no one there, Haan's soldier pointed to a large metal container the size of a desk in the back corner. It was equipped with a turn dial and several keyholes, meant for tight security. "My guess is that the documents you two need are in there. Our plan is to get out of here in ten minutes, so you should hurry up. I'll sit at the door to watch the back while you get what you need. Hurry." He said, walking out of the doorway and across the hall to a small cubicle facing them, so that if anyone were to attack them, he would grab them from behind before they could even get inside of the office.

Ky nodded as the man dashed out to execute his protection plan. They would probably get out before the security system came online as it were, but he didn't want to take any chances. Once the security headquarters of the station realized the radios were off and gone, they were send more troops or turn on the automated security, and that could get very ugly. He considered using the Thunder Seal to pierce through, but by the looks of the metal, it would most likely be more resistant to a sharp weapon. What he needed was something more blunt. Ky turned to Dizzy and whispered, "Do you think one of your wings would be able to get into that?"

"I think so... Undine?" she asked as she pulled the back of her wet suit down to give Undine the room she needed to emerge.

Looking at the box in question, the guardian cocked an eyebrow. "I see... what would you have me do?"

Both Ky and Dizzy found themselves at a loss. "Well... there's something in there we need and we need to get it out..." Dizzy tried to explain as best she could under the strained circumstances. Ky only watched Dizzy talk to the figure over her shoulder, a slightly feathered and organic face, lips not moving or a word being uttered, but Dizzy talking to it regardless. Perhaps she heard things that he didn't, Ky assumed.

Undine, like her counterpart Necro, were both an unusual sight to him. She appeared like a beautiful woman, colored in a hue of blue light enough to assume she was made of ice. However, her eyes contained an intelligence that belied her simplistic appearance. She even had a robe to cover her torso, mysteriously materializing whenever she appeared.

Necro, on the other hand, hardly ever showed himself, and for good reason, Ky thought morbidly. He held the appearance of something male, but his face was as human as a skeleton, with a pair of eyes that were either encased in shadow, or burning with the rage of a berserker. Ky had deduced that his primary function was to provide Dizzy with the power she needed... and protection that would kill people without a second thought.

Comprehension dawning, Undine clapped her hands. "Aha, I see what you want..." raising her palm to her mouth, she blew a breath of air that quickly turned into a stream of ice-cold wind. Within seconds the box was covered in frost.

Blinking at the icy cage, Ky turned to Dizzy's guardian, "I don't understand, how does..." he never got a chance to finish as Undine pointed her hands towards the box, summoning a flat and sharp sheet of solid ice from the ground to cut through the face of the safe, sparing the contents within. The face of the safe soon fell forward, exposing a set of papers wrapped in a manila folder.

With a playful air, Undine said casually, "Many solid objects are much easier to break when they become frozen through." With her job complete, she retracted herself into Dizzy's back, leaving both of them aghast at what they just witnessed. Ky picked up the folder, looking at the contents. He smiled up at Dizzy, confirming that they were, indeed, what they needed. Before he could say it though, he had to drop the folder and grab Dizzy by her shoulder also, tugging her to the ground.

It had seemed one security man had slipped by the initial sweep by Haan. Kiske knew he saw something, and now he knew why. The security guard saw them, he had been watching them from that one crossroads of the cubicles, and so he took one step forward at them, smirking. He was dressed in a normal security outfit, his weapon in a holster on the side and the standard PWAB uniform emblazoned on him, except for the PWAB letters removed, the stitching still visible from where it was ripped off. As he took the step forward, he know Haan's man would leap at him from the darkened cubicle.

The soldier leapt forward with knife at the ready, but the security guard was quick to duck and fire off three rounds into the gut of the elite mercenary. He dropped quickly, the knife being picked up by the security guard, and he then leapt into the room, grabbing Dizzy as she tried to stand up and run off. She yelped slightly, like a child, as he ensnared her, holding the mercenary's blade to her throat. He faced Ky with a smirk on his face. He was a slightly pudgy man, a lazy guy that just worked his job, but he at least knew what he was doing sometimes.

"Alright, if you don't want the girl hurt, you'd better put the sword down."

After a second's shock, he frowned at the man that held Dizzy hostage. "I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

The man held the tip of the blade at Dizzy's jaw. "Oh, really? In case you've forgotten, Kiske, I'm the one with the hostage."

Looking to the blade and then to Ky, Dizzy blinked her eyes slowly and remained calm, silently informing him that there was little to worry about. The man knew who Kiske was, but it would be hard to not know who he was. Reports had circulated the PWAB on Kiske and his prying anyway, so he was easy to recognize, as if ending the Crusades hadn't been enough of a dead giveaway.

"No, I haven't forgotten, but if you heard us earlier, then you know that we both got less than eight minutes left."

With the assaulter's gaze on Ky, he didn't notice a swell originating from the small of Dizzy's back, slowly crawling down the leg of her wet suit.

"I got ears! Tell those guys out there to stop whatever it is they're doing or the girl here dies!"

From the exposed ankle of Dizzy's suit, Dizzy's tail quietly emerged. The tip ballooned to the size of a fist, before the end opened up to reveal a sharp-toothed maw. During the exchange between Ky and her would be captor, the maw clamped down on the man's ankle, through his clothes, drawing a bit of blood.

Not expecting the pain coming from his ankle, the man let go of his blade, allowing Dizzy to wrench herself out of the man's grip and shove him towards Ky, who in turn struck him in the head with the butt of his sword.

As the man fell silent, he looked from him to her as her tail started to retract back into her wet suit. He still wasn't sure what to make of her. They had fought each other in the past, due to their respective histories no less, and now; here they were fighting on the same side.

However, the fact that she had used her tail, another sight he still wasn't used to, to escape capture left him slightly apprehensive. Their previous encounter in the grove had left a rather large chunk of a large tree missing due to that... tail.

"We'd best hurry..." he said dragging the man to another corner. Though he didn't enjoy the thought of being part of this man's death, the solider would inevitably return to the Bureau and tell them of what had happened. Kiske hadn't killed him with the hit, but incapacitating him would leave him vulnerable for when the explosives went off. That man's testimony alone would be more than enough to incriminate him.

He had no intention of becoming another conquest of those that would violate the rights of those they were meant to protect. He turned to see Dizzy place the file in the waterproof bag she was given. If Aeon and Gepetto were right, then this could be the beginning of the end of the Bureau.

As he and Dizzy dashed out of the office and ran to the entrance, they noticed a few of Haan's men running in a similar direction.

"Took your sweet time, didn't you?" Haan hollered from the docking ports.

"We were detained for a moment," Ky returned, not wanting to get into yet another argument with someone that was supposed to be on his side.

Haan turned to another one of his men, "everyone back?"

The man went over a list in his head mentally and shook his head. "No, sir. Katari's not back yet."

"And the one you sent with us" Kiske chimed in.

"Damn!" Haan said looking to the entrance. "The active Robots must have gotten to Katari first. What about yours?" he started back to the factory and turned to Ky and Dizzy.

"A security guard shot him, three times, but Kiske knocked him out in return. I'm sorry about the loss." Dizzy said as the ran along through the factory.

"You two get back on the mariner, I'll be back." He turned to his subordinate again, "if either one of us isn't back in six minutes, consider us dead and blow this place."

"Yes sir," the man said without hesitation. He quickly opened the doors from the factory, his weapon at ready and held out in front of his face as he jogged through the corridors, a few men in front and a few behind, with Ky and Dizzy in the middle. Counter to their initial stealth approach, they had no use for it now. If any security got in the way, they'd be quickly and loudly killed. The time for stealth was gone.

Finding the entrance to the building, they all ran outside, two of Haan's men sitting tight at the door, waiting for their leader to come out as Ky and Dizzy followed the rest to the end of the pier. They passed over the man who was stabbed earlier on the edge of the pier, one of the men kicking the body into the water as a wave snatched him up and drifted the corpse along the currents. Before they could get outside, the open doors, held that way by the two men waiting for their leader, Ky turned to Haan.

"What are you waiting for! Go!" Haan yelled an order before dashing as fast as his feet could carry him back to the factory.

"Wait a minute, you're just going to let them kill you if you don't make it back?" Ky asked following suit as Dizzy trailed him helplessly.

"Of course. It's S.O.P. Preventing casualties is the most vital thing. It's how the group's survived for thirty years of the Crusades."

"And yet you're going back?" Ky asked incredulously as he stood still, Haan itching to turn and run back inside.

"Of course! I don't abandon my men, if I can't help it."

"You talk about not abandoning your men, but the ones that survive still lose you if you die!"

"Shut your hole, Kiske! The previous leader of the group died to save me and I'll be damned if I don't do the same!"

"Fine, I'm going with you. I can't let you die, or I'll be at blame for it. DiLuveria, follow them and don't turn back!" Ky yelled at her, the girl nodding and behind escorted out by the remaining soldiers, the two sitting tight at the open doors, weapons at ready and scanning the area.

As they entered the main factory, alarms blared as a computerized voice roared. "INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS! INITIALIZING SELF-DEFENSE INITIATIVE PROGRAM."

Knowing that time was not their only enemy, they ran up a set of stairs, leading to the storage area of the completed Robo-Kys. The conveyor belt from the torso area wound up to the other attachments, the finally up to the top on the right side of the factory into another huge room that housed the fully assembled robots.

At the end of a large assembly line, several hundred of the metallic soldiers began to awaken. The yellow lights in their metallic skulls seemed to spread like a virus as each one, in turn, shot to vibrant life, a wave of the functions coming online. In the middle of the floor, a wounded Katari crawled from one of the first awakened Robo-Kys, trying to contain the bleeding from his side and leg. The robot had taken him by surprise and though he survived, he needed to get to the team's A.A. and soon. His surveying of the area took him up here, and he had gone too far, so on his return, he was wounded. Haan was only moments late for the wounding, though, as Katari was running moments before, as he could tell from the soldier falling to the ground and rolling along as his head popped above the stairwell.

"BZZTRESISTENCEISUSELESS."

It raised its false Thunder Seal to strike the final blow when Haan's personal knife, sheath carried by a strap to his chest, threw it off balance and Ky's sword cut it in two.

Wasting no time, Ky and Haan dragged Katari to his feet as Dizzy cried from the entrance, "Hurry! There's more coming from this side!" Ky sneered, knowing that Dizzy didn't follow his orders in going with the others to the pier, but the voice did help him to urge himself to be quicker. She seemed a bit surprised by his reaction, but knew that there was little point to argue..

True to her observation, sentry robots began to emerge and converge on their location to cut off any avenue of escape.

"We're not dead yet!" Haan said as he pulled a trigger from his pocket and pushed the button. All three of them were rocked violently off balance, along with every other robot in the vicinity as several charges Haan placed earlier had gone off in case resistance was met on the way out.

True to Haan's expectation, it slowed the robots in the main facility as they dashed back on the walkway, said walkway being suspended above the machines, from where a few guards were earlier dispatched. The robots had taken a few moments to calculate and make up for the damage inflicted by the bombs around the structure, but were quick to follow. Beneath them, the Robo-Ky's were beginning to regroup faster than anyone of them would have liked.

"How much time do we have left?" Katari asked, trying to stay conscious.

"Not enough, let's keep moving!" Haan roared as they struggled to descend the stairway despite Katari's limp. The horde of robots still pursued them and knowing their targets were getting away, accelerated their pursuit. The sections of walkway were quickly cut apart under them as they ran.. Incomplete models fell from the assembly line, clawing at the ground with incomplete frames and bodies, trying to catch the intruder, robots jumping off of high balconies and through containment walls, rubble, and any other obstruction to join the flood of metal figures drawing close behind the humans.

Seeing their chances of escape growing slimmer, Ky took himself away from Katari's arm and said to Haan, "Take him ahead, I'll see what we can do about giving you more time."

"You stupid or something, Kiske?" Haan said, still moving as fast as he could.

"No, just not willing to lose anyone here. Even if he's your man."

Haan didn't reply as he and Katari moved down the hallway, leaving both him and Dizzy to confront the several dozen Robo-Kys ready to do them harm at the factory's mouth. Dizzy had ran back through the halls, the two mercenaries who were at the entrance doors catching up to her now, seeing Haan, Katari, Ky and the oncoming flood. With a couple of obligatory "sirs" and words, they grabbed Katari and Dizzy and ran back off.

Still clutching the satchel, Dizzy looked to him, "Can I help?"

Ky shook his head. "No. You go ahead. I'll catch up. You have what we need, you're the priority, and I will not let you be put into harm's way…" As the robots drew nearer, he readied his weapon, "…besides, I prefer fighting alone." Though he wouldn't acknowledge it, a slightly manic grin grew on his face. The adrenaline was too much for him to take, and he needed an outlet. It was quite reminiscent of the Crusades, now that he thought about it. A seemingly one-sided battle, with the odds mysteriously in his favor. All thoughts of his charge forgotten, he charged. He didn't even notice how his comment had hurt her as she turned and ran into the hall. The surge of Robo-Kys had to quell themselves to fit through the narrow double-door space to get to the real Ky, so it gave Kiske an opportunity to start smashing through them as they tried to configure themselves to be able to fit through.

"You see?" the red haired specter said with her arms folded. "A liability that interferes..."

"Leave me alone!" Dizzy cried mentally back as she ran down the hallway. The persistent taunting of the specter was driving her mad and she wasn't sure how much more of this mental torture she could endure. It floated around her as she ran, matching her pace as it floated along, seeming not even to notice, as if it kept a radius on her and her alone, no matter where she went. It was as real as Katari being carried by two other soldiers in front of her and Haan behind her, pushing on her shoulder blades with the palm of his hand, but it wasn't real to anyone else, that much she knew.

Coming into the underwater docks, she found Haan ushering his injured man into the water with the assistance of another crewmember that had tarried. Noticing her solitary condition, he asked, "Where's Kiske?"

"He's back there... fighting..." Dizzy said, trying to keep her composure. Yet, feeling so tossed aside the way she was didn't sit well with her.

Haan gaped at the news. "Muhammad's Beard, he's lost it! This place is about to blow, doesn't he get that!"

Dizzy nodded and turned back, "He wanted to give you more time... but... I..."

Looking over his options, with what little time he had left, he said several orders in his native tongue to his men before turning to Dizzy.

"Come on..." He said, motioning to one of his soldiers. The soldier nodded, took a step forward, then fell off the pier at another explosion inside, knocking him off. The boat slowly unmoored at the explosion, drifting outward, with all of his men on it, including the one who just fell into it, except for Haan and Dizzy. The waves quickly isolated them from the pier once Haan and Dizzy had fully stood, and he cursed slightly. He then waved off to them to execute their plan, and he turned to Dizzy with a sigh.

Surprised she found herself following the squad leader as he drew his blade.

"What are you..."

"Got no choice now. I'm gonna bash this thing over his head and I'll need your help to drag his sorry ass out of here. That is if he doesn't get crushed once the factory falls. In plus, he can't be taking my line in dying for the team when I told him that was my idea."

Even more surprised, she followed him back into the compound.

"What did you tell your men to do with that hand gesture?"

"They're to get the mariner to a safe distance and wait for us. If we don't show up from here, we'll meet them on the eastern portion of the island. If we're lucky, we'll be able to use the secondary escape tunnel this place has just in case."

Not sure where this was going, Dizzy asked, "Then why use it at all if the place is going to be blown up?"

"Because the tunnel leads topside, where a nest of Rocs eat anything large enough to put into their beaks is! This island is their territory, especially at sunrise. The underground tunnel is somewhere around the hallways before the factory, and once we get into it, it's a straight shot east."

She was starting to find this alternative plan of action to be more disconcerting than she was willing to admit. Commander Gear or not, she wasn't sure of her ability to control Gears since it was never truly tested. She recalled trying to control Testament to simply raise his hand when he wasn't looking, but his will was too strong.

Either way, it appeared that it had to be dealt with later as she and Haan found Ky actively engaging and holding his own against several dozen odds to one. With every stroke from the robots, Ky was practically rank with blood lust. He was actually enjoying himself.

"The hell are you doing, Kiske! We gotta get going!" Haan screamed as she decapitated a Robo-Ky that was caught off guard.

He didn't even notice Haan's yelling, to far into the moment, into the fight. He slashed another Robo-Ky, kicking it down onto the ground then swiping its body with an electrical arc and then approaching another with a deadly diagonal swing. He was about to slash the same robot as it fell in two pieces vertically when Haan grabbed his arm, jolting him from his battle stupor. He stuttered for a second, making one big arc with his sword to buy some time as the current wave was thrown back, circuitry frying and smoke emitting the pores of the eye-sockets on the robots, then followed Haan to a staircase, concealed after a long way of winding hallways, the Robo-Kys ever vigilant behind to spear them. The staircase led to the ceiling, Dizzy following closely behind Haan, and Ky in back.

"There's no time for that, this way!"

With less than three minutes left before the fuel-line charges went off, Haan swung the door open, ushering his companions through before slamming the door shut. They had planted three sequential charges, the initial ones, which detonated when he got to Katari, the secondary, which had gone off when they were at the piers, and the third. The third were the nice ones though…they were at the fuel dumps for this place, and would make a grand explosion. It reminded Haan of the fun he and the squad had when they found a lightly defended Gear production facility in his homeland. The only thing that marred the occasion was the stench of burnt Gear flesh, but that couldn't have been helped.

The passageway appeared half complete, for several meters up the tunnel, the footing changed from the metal plating to soft gravel and dirt.

"How far does this tunnel go?" Ky, a few steps behind Haan, asked between breaths.

"Fifty meters before we get to the surface. If the plans were right, then the Bureau was planning on using other parts of the island as drop off ports. Before they found the Rocs, I think they were hoping to have a hidden observation deck to watch anything from above ground, besides that shitty dock we came in on."

"You think?" Ky tilted his head in confusion.

Clearly irritated, Haan nearly yelled back, "I'm just a dirty merc, remember! I'm just pulling straws since the plans we got weren't all that clear in this section."

Ky was about to retort when a rumble threw all of them off their feet. Though the charges Haan blew up previous were strong, the ones made the first bombs seem minute in comparison as all three of them discovered to their horror the ceiling above them starting to crack.

"KEEP RUNNING!" Haan screamed as dirt and rock started to fall between them. A deep rumble started to shake the tunnel as the chunks from the walls and ceiling grew larger with every passing second. Bits of debris, growing roots of plants above and silt started to rain down on them heavier and heavier, a choking cloud of brown particles making it harder and harder to keep one's eyes open.

Up ahead, cracks from the door ahead grew brighter as the cave started to fall from several meters behind. They didn't have time to look back because of the frightening rate it was moving towards the three escapees. What they could notice though was the surge of Robo-Kys. They had expertly maneuvered over every obstacle, every piece of debris that fell. The debris would crush one, maybe two, then the others would jump around or destroy it and continue. But, the last of the debris had completely cut off the force of the Robo-Kys, crushing the six in the front of the charge. Their parts gave a whine as the metal bent like paper under the weight, their circuitry exposed and clicking with electrical life before sputtering out. The mechanical cries of the ones behind could be muffledly heard as they hacked away at the debris without avail, cut off from their target.

They weren't out of the clear though. More debris fell in front of them, Ky narrowly missing taking a boulder on his head, and Haan having to snatch Dizzy by her collar to avoid being crushed, and tossing her ahead as she stumbled around then got to sprinting again.

"This is it!" Haan screamed, throwing the map behind him as he read the last thing he needed to see, waiting for the open air to greet him as he turned the last straight away. Instead, a large metallic door, reflecting their images a hundred feet off could be vaguely seen. "The hell! There should be nothing there!"

"Will you make it?" the specter leered to Dizzy, laughing slightly as it leaned forward into her face, staring into her eyes with the fiery ones it had sunken into its perfectly-mirrored face of Dizzy's. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to move the ghost so she could see in front of her again, it not moving when she reopened them, only running straight ahead as much as her body would allow. "You'll just die, like them. You are something much greater than any of them, you realize. A goddess among insects and yet you pretend to be one of them. Spread your wings, child, and leave them for dead, the way they should be..." She screamed mentally, "No! I won't abandon them!", her eyes watering, from both dust and dirt, continuing ahead.

The woman frowned and then started to fade into the darkness, "Your choices will bring you only regret..."

Overtaking Haan for the lead, Ky concentrated all his strength into the Thunder Seal, letting the lightning gather around him like a bubble. His speed increased greatly as several more spheres of electricity appeared and pushed him towards the door, the spheres slowly popping off of the Thunder Seal like bubbles from a water-and-soap wand, conducting the elastic electric sphere.

Thrusting his beloved sword forward, the tip tore through the metal door, tossing ahead several meters before coming to a halt just below a ridge where the exit lay. Exhausted, Ky let the magic dissipate and he fell down as Dizzy and Haan leaped out of the door after him seconds later. They all fell down, the door a good five feet above solid ground, tumbling and rolling as they hit the ground and fresh air, a morning sun slowly rising over the horizon.

All three turned to see the passageway darken and cover with more than enough dirt and rock to make sure no one else was getting back in.

"We... made it?" Dizzy asked quietly between breaths.

Gasping for air, Haan nodded as he wiped his brow of perspiration and the dirt that had speckled itself across his face, picking a few weed roots from his shoulders that had fallen from the loose soil. "Yep. Primary objective complete. Now, we just need to get going and meet up with the others." They all sighed, sitting down on the moist grass.

Morning dew settled over the small garden like area, the rising sun slowly giving purple and amber light across the skies to the Mediterranean island and its unkempt vegetation. They all gathered their breath for a few minutes, hearing the last of the rumbles from inside the factory die out.

"Just give me a minute..." Ky said as he gasped for air, his lungs afire not only from the exertion, but the draining use of 'Ride the Lightning'. All the tension he had gathered up from fighting the robots was gone and he was more than willing to sleep right then and there. However, when Haan's foot connected with his temple, his agitation returned, with a splitting headache.

"What!"

Haan's anger was all too easy to see with his hands on his hips. "What do you mean 'what'! It's 'cause of you we were nearly killed back there!"

Though exhausted, Ky was not willing to hear any of this from Haan. "Those things would have closed in on us, if I didn't."

Haan wasn't convinced. "Yeah, and Justice was a woman. Stop pretending this is the Crusades! There's no ceremony or tribunal or whatever for this. In case you've forgotten, we're still in enemy territory and until we get out of here, the _last_ thing we need is you pretending to be a hero again."

Ky stood up faster than he would liked as the blood rushed to his head, yet still did his best to stare down Haan. "What do you mean by pretend!"

"You heard me, Kiske. You have to be the big hero that saves the day. It comes with the territory. But as far as I'm concerned, the lives of my men matter to me, yours does not! I lost one back there, protecting you and her. You've defeated Justice and now you're on your own personal Crusade. This is your war, not mine and I was hired for this job, but I am not here to just rampantly die for you and your stupid ambitions, be it fighting those idiot robots!"

Ky tightly gripped the handle of his sword, as the adrenaline was starting to reappear in force. "You will regret those words, Hazrat."

"Both of you, STOP IT!" In an instant, both Ky and Haan felt something... almost like a pair of invisible hands pulling them apart, though they were the ones that stepped back. They both turned to see Dizzy, still catching her breath and rubbing her nose from the excess dirt in the air, with the occasional cough, leaning against a small tree she found on the side of the overgrown area in which the exit had dropped them off at. She was just as frustrated as they were as she continued.

"This... isn't helping... how... are we supposed... to survive if we... keep attacking each other? We're... alive, aren't we?" She wiped away some of the dirt off her face, trying her hardest to keep the tears in. After barely escaping death, she was not feeling any better than she was before. The ghost's taunting had taken its toll on her and she didn't want to see the discord continue.

Though Haan had kept his disdainful glare, he mirrored Ky sheathing his own sword. Reluctantly, they both had to acknowledge that to argue the point of who's fault it was became moot. They were alive and that was all that mattered.

"I'm wondering... why her, Kiske? Most information officers I know of have basic training for something like this. She doesn't. Why bring her into this?"

Looking at the ground, Ky muttered, "Luveria's friends were killed by those things..."

Haan cocked an eyebrow. "You don't say?" He turned to Dizzy and said in a manner that resembled admiration, "Good job, kid. Not many people as brave as you."

Dizzy, not fettered by the dirt, responded in confusion. "Huh?"

Haan folded his arms and continued, "I know people and you can't fake courage. I've seen people that were fakers their whole lives and when their time came, they didn't do jack."

Feeling slightly flattered, she responded. "Thank you."

He waved it off and said, "Watch it though, the same thing's happened to others and they wound up dead."

Knowing that he would say that, she nodded in compliance to his warning. She was no stranger to being in harm's way. She had been targeted by bounty hunters and police for a good portion of her life and in a strange way, this was nothing new.

Ky, watching the whole scene, wasn't sure what to make of it. In addition, he was beginning to think that he was truly to blame for their delay back to Athens. If he had simply joined the others in the craft, they would have been spared the time. But it was too late to regret now.

"Shall we get going? We got a boat to catch." Haan said casually to Ky as he turned to the mercenary and nodded, not expecting the whole fight to be forgotten to quickly... perhaps it was better that way.

A loud and blood curdling caw made all of them freeze in mid-stride. For a second, a large and menacing shadow whipped past them, blocking out the sun.

Almost scared to look, all three of them turned up to see five large bird-like shapes circling overhead.

Feeling all color drain from his face, Haan whispered in fear he had never known before,

"...Rocs..."

End of Chapter 7

Notes:

There's a long story behind this chapter... which means I'll keep it short and to the point. I wrote the chapter. The chapter sucked, big time. My editor gave some helpful advice and stuff. I heeded that advice. Now, it's cool. I then improved on what he added and now it's even cooler than before. The End... now go to sleep, children.

I always figured mercenary groups of the GG world would have stuff that would definately remind some folks of Splinter Cell, however, I would imagine guns would be considered black tech and therefore with hardly any existance there, even among the baddies. So, it's still the way of the sword, only with a few charges in it to make it like a syringe or sorta. Make Gears go boom quite easily. Though, it'd still be surprising to see a gun here and there, which is the reason why I kept that one in, during the scene between the last guard and the merc.

Let's see... what else of significance can I bore you with? Ah, the descriptions of Dizzy's wings never really came through in as much detail as it is and I'm satisfied with what my editor and I came up with.

Well, enough of that. All things GG belongs to Sammy, Arc Systems, Daisuke Ishiwatari and me... well, I wish it did, but I don't.


	8. Ignorance and Understanding

The Rocs were meant to be a creature of legend. Rocs were thought of as gargantuan birds capable of lifting anything from a person to three elephants. According to legends, they could drop boulders on passing ships as retaliation against the deaths of their young. The legendary sailor, Sinbad, was said to have been carried by such a thing.

The Gear variation of the creature was closer to legend than humanity would have liked. Sixteen meters from wingtip to wingtip, it weighed enough to crush a building, yet strong enough to carry a fully equipped and manned MT. In spite of this, they were a pale comparison to real birds. Covered in a synthetic and much lighter material than feathers were, they were able to maintain their flight with extra weight. On both the top and bottom of its head were domes that one had to assume pass for eyes, which enabled an almost perfect range of vision.

The only drawbacks were the amount of material required to create these things were enormous. More than a hundred standard combat gears could be produced at the expense of one Roc. Even in numbers, the Rocs were far from invincible. Which lead to another failing. Like most avian animals, their intelligence, even Gear enhanced, made them far too difficult for Justice or any other sub-Commander Gear to control. In short, they were simply too stupid.

Abandoned at Crete, the flying Gears were then left to die, but nature had once more established control and enabled them to reproduce. Requiring little to no substance for their growth, save for magic, their numbers grew steadily over the years and the island became their stronghold that no one dared approach.

Whenever Rocs got a look at their prey, they were marked and would be followed. Instinct aside, if a target was to be hunted, they'd hunt them to the ends of the earth. Such was the case for hero of the Crusades, Ky Kiske, his protectorate, Dizzy, and their guide to the now ruined installation beneath the mountain.

The resulting explosion which completely leveled and buried the factory had awoken the birds and noting the surge of magic on the eastern side of the mountain began circulating over the area. With inhumanly loud caws, they went into a circle several stories high over the three escapees. Despite the increased rate of running of those below, they were much more adapt at keeping their prey in sight.

In a near panic, all three scrambled as fast as they could to find some cover from the aerial predators. Most of the foliage consisted of shrubs, bushes, and tall grass, and with no trees to hide under, they had to flee as fast as they could, despite the repeated swoops of the giant Gears.

For the past half hour, all three of them had been running as fast as their weary legs could carry them. Once more, Ky wiped the sweat off his brow to keep his vision clear. The hill they ran on was far from smooth and with several holes left by indigenous animals, one could easily trip and end up being food for the Rocs.

Seeing the hill increase in its dip for a while, Ky figured there had to be a small cave or something beneath the incline. What they needed was more time to get ahead, and though Haan would more likely than not berate him for what he was about to do, there was no room for argument.

Digging his heels into the ground, he twirled around and sent a charge of lumus from the Thunder Seal straight at the closest Roc. The instant the bolt hit, the Roc recoiled and roared in pain. With its equilibrium knocked off, it tumbled to the ground and tried to move, but the stun had hurt it more than it realized. Projectiles of the Divine Implements did great amounts of damage to Gears... and it was a blow that Dizzy felt as she staggered and held her chest as though someone had hit a club against it, but clenched teeth and watering eyes kept her moving despite the residual pain.

Whether she liked it or not, she was connected to these Gears. How, she wasn't sure. Considering they were hunting her, she held no desire to be affiliated with them in any way.

"Part of you is one of them, henceforth, you share their pain among other things..." the ghost woman said reappearing. To her chagrin, Dizzy knew her words to be true. Yet, there was something more on her end that enabled her to see things from their eyes. It was becoming hard to concentrate on running when she could hear their roaring in her head. More than their simple minds, she could see what each one could see. They all saw her, Ky, and Haan with almost perfect clarity.

"Go away!" Dizzy replied with an angry glare as she turned back to see Ky diving to the right after a missed swoop from one of the Rocs. It was then it occured to her, from their perspective, they weren't targeting her at all. Even the ones circling over her weren't advancing any further. It was most disconcerting.

"Dammit, Kiske! Come on!" Haan screamed as he too dove to avoid a Roc from swallowing him whole.

Dizzy ran to another direction as two Rocs above her compensated to a more defensive position. Dizzy realized they weren't protecting her, they were cutting off their avenue of escape.

"...And as one of them, they will obey your will. With you commanding them, they can kill these two humans faster than they can register the pain." The specter had yet to leave and was continuing to taunt her.

"Mr. Hazrat!" Dizzy screamed as she saw Haan stagger to his feet and stumble to start running. With little breath left, he ran back towards Kiske, knowing that his attacks would have more affect than his estus blade.

Ignoring the ghost, she held the satchel as hard as she could as she moved to assist Ky in any way she could. Their size evidently could be used against them and with any luck, it could be used to her advantage.

As Haan and Dizzy started to close in on the still fighting Ky, a shrub with its roots exposed caught Haan by the foot and he stumbled and fell flat against the dirt. Seizing the opportunity, the closest bird to Haan rose high and dove as at a steep angle towards Haan's trapped form. Its simple mind's elation at discovering a morsel of human flesh ready for the taking appeared all to easily in Dizzy's mind and senses.

Seeing the Gear dive, Dizzy knew that Haan was done for if she didn't do something. Ky was too busy fending off two Rocs at once and she was out of options. He had helped them all despite all this happening... also, one of his men died trying to help them.

A mixture of magic in its purest form and instinct flooded Dizzy's senses as she dashed over to Haan, not noticing nor caring that her wings had burst from her wet suit and her hair had changed back into its original color. From Haan's perspective, her wings appeared just like their avian counterparts. The limbs of the wings extending from her shoulder blades and reaching out for nearly two meters from tip to tip. The connecting areas of the wings and her skin seemed far too natural for a graft and he had seen plenty. Time seemed to slow down as stood in between Haan and the Roc. Staring down the bird, Dizzy held her hands up and screamed one piercing word.

"Stop!" At that same moment, a flash of light coalesced on her forehead, burning itself into an insignia, comprised of a straight line, flanked by two pairs of angular lines. Dizzy's mind reached out and found so much more power available to her. She could see so much more. The memories of the Rocs, their functions, their instinct, their ability; all hers to command. With the proximity of the Rocs, she found their weak and feeble minds hers for the conquering. As stubborn as they were, she had established a control over each and every one of them in a fraction of a second. Her will overriding theirs was an almost familiar territory. She knew she couldn't work this with Testament, but if she could control Gears, then perhaps she could do some good with this power.

As per her command, the Roc veered away, soon to be followed by the others. A moment before, they were two seperate beings, but now she and the Rocs were one in mind. With her will in command, she felt the Rocs' bodies becoming easier to control.

"Go away!" She ordered to the minds of the Rocs, sounding ancient and powerful. Her will would not be denied as she suppressed their instinct to obey her orders. Eventually, the Rocs gathered in formation and returned to their nest at the westernmost point of the island and would remain there. Feeling the immense amount of power leaving her, the mark on her forehead vanished and she collapsed to her knees, leaving a shocked Haan and a surprised Ky to marvel at what just happened.

Giving Ky an incredulous look, Haan started, "Whoa… wait a minute... this girl... she can't be a... I don't recall Gears looking like humans!"

Knowing her cover was blown, Ky sighed. "She's a special case."

Looking back at the still recovering Dizzy, he muttered, "Let me get this straight – she's the Commander Gear the U.N. offered the bounty over a few years back?"

Ky nodded and answered the affirmative, sheathing his sword in his belt.

With a quivering lower lip, Dizzy wondered what was to become of her now that someone like Haan knew her secret.

"He must be silenced!" Necro screamed in Dizzy's head.

"Wait! Perhaps he can be persuaded to keep the secret," Undine countered just as quickly, venom and balmy words bounding about in the former bounty's mind.

Both Ky and Dizzy stared at Haan as he watched the latter with scrutinizing eyes. For a long and awkward moment, his eyes traveled from her wings to her face. He sat on the ground, letting the wind rustle his messed up hair and get in the way of his face as he looked down to the ground to consider what he had just seen.

Again Ky and Dizzy remained silent as the mercenary stood up, dusted himself off, and started to walk west. The other two looked to each other, not understanding why he said nothing.

Picking up on their confusion, Haan said angrily, "What? You think I'm going to tell anyone? Listen, Kiske, would you stop me if I tried to turn her in?"

Unprepared for the question, Ky kept silent. Not really sure what to say. He nodded once.

"There you go," he said clearly irritated before turning around and moving forward.

With a sigh of relief, Dizzy forced herself to her feet as her wings stretched themselves with her movements after being retracted for so long, visibily drained from whatever she had done. Whatever had happened, the ghost with the red hair was gone. Perhaps if she could find a way to keep that power, maybe the ghost would leave her alone for good.

She looked to her guardian and smiled, knowing that things would be fine, but it soon faded when she saw his face a mask of scrutiny. It was obvious he was displeased at her revealing herself to save Haan, but there was something more there. His suspicions were crawling to the surface again and she could tell. Without saying a word to her, he walked past and followed Haan down the hill.

Knowing things had not gotten any better, she followed dejectedly, like a scolded child through grass and shrub.

* * *

In darkness and shadow, several figures seated at desks conversed with one another. There had been a disturbance and the meeting had to be called immediately. Soon enough, a door opened, becoming the only source of light for the expansive room and in stepped a single occupant with a typed report in his hand.

Bruce Aymond hated this part. The Executor's Committee by itself was frightening enough, but to actually have to be the one to tell them the bad news was nerve wracking. With steps as calm as he could, he walked to the center of the circular room, taking a stand on a small podium meant to be used as a point of address while being scrutinized by the committee. The door closed, leaving him in darkness before another light shined on top of him, making him appear alone.

Knowing it was time, he lifted the report and said calmly; "At oh-four-hundred thirty hours this morning; all contact with installation zero-one-six were cut off due to unknown reasons. Last communications lead the head of security to believe that the installation was attacked by a band of mercenaries."

One voice spoke calmly from the shadows, but still remained displeased. "Any identification of the group?"

Turning to the source of the voice, Bruce said, "Our best assumption is that it's a mercenary group based in Pakistan, named the Pivqr Rusqm."

One of the members would have frowned if Bruce could see him. "We don't need assumptions, Mr. Aymond. We want answers. Unless you wish to be replaced, it'd be best if you were to get the answers as soon as possible."

Bruce blanched at the threat. It was not something they said casually or out of habit. The Executors held their power through fear and intimidation. Bruce admited it himself that he was no Ky Kiske and only someone as brave, or foolhardy, as him would have been able to stand up agaist them like this.

One member scoffed haughtily. "Naturally. Their ancestors were nothing more than terrorists and they follow in their footsteps. Any information as to whom hired them?"

Bruce replied. "None. We've even gone so far as to check the bank accounts and umbrella accounts of the Shadow Hearts members. There's been nothing."

Two members spoke out loud.

"Are you saying that these mongrels are acting of their own initiative?"

"Preposterous."

The head of the group then silenced the other two and spoke up.

"Could it be that our operations in their areas has sparked this kind of response?"

Bruce blanched, not having really considered that possibility. Thinking quickly, he recalled some reports off of the top of his head.

"It's not impossible. Locals near the remaining oil fields resisted and resorted to fighting when we tried to acquire the materials for the Robo-Kys and the experimental MGs."

There was a tense quiet as Bruce wondered what was to happen. Though, considering how ruthless the Committee was, he wouldn't be surprised at the next order. The head of the committee addressed Bruce once more, making him feel like an ant about to be stepped on.

"Mr. Aymond. It would be best for you to get us some suitable leads so that we can ensure this does not happen again. Put all the other factories on full alert and double the security detail. We cannot and will not tolerate another loss like this again."

Nodding, Bruce felt slightly queasy as all the eyes and displeasure of the entire committee was focused on him. The speakers from their chairs off, Bruce could only hear faint whispers between the committee members as he wondered what was to come next. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the chairman spoke up without warning.

"In closing, it appears that some subtle retaliation is in order... prepare the usual white washing procedures for Pakistan."

Pretending to be shocked, Bruce said, "But sir, what if the U.N. Council and the Shadow Hearts get word of this?"

"They won't. The area once known as the Middle East is no longer part of the U.N. and as such, can be treated as a violent element requiring force. Their citizens are not of the U.N., henceforth, they deserve no rights as such. And just as a precaution, if any of the news media does get word of this, deliver the report of the 'potential threat of invasion' and we had to make a 'pre-emptive strike' for the safety of our freedoms."

Nodding, Bruce turned around and walked as quickly as he could out of the room to deliver the orders... while doing his best to keep the bile at the bottom of his throat. The Executors Committee would pay dearly for all they've done and he hoped he'd be live long enough to know of their demise.

When the door closed behind him, he leaned his hand against the wall and inhaled desperately as though he had nearly escaped drowning. It was getting harder and harder to be the spy and sabetour he was supposed to be while at the same time, pretending to be one of those pathetic yes men that always rose in rank. This had to change and soon.

In the meantime, he had to get a warning out to the survivors of Pakistan... somehow.

* * *

The sun was high and peeking through what few clouds there were in the sky as Ky, Dizzy, and Haan walked through the remains of Rethimnon, the northernmost port city of the Rethynmo prefecture.

No buildings stood higher than waist level as they waded through heaps of garbage, rock, and what not. What could have been a diner at one point had nothing more than its foundation, with an opened door to what used to be a shelter, most likely found by the Gears and any survivors wiped out.

Haan looked from one structure to another with little interest. There was nothing new for him to see, for his beloved homeland was also ruined in such a manner. There were so few of his people left and their once vibrant and hopeful desert was reduced to a wasteland thanks to Justice. Again he turned to Dizzy and his eyes narrowed momentarily. The mention of those things made his finger itchy.

Picking up the remains of a ceramic mug, he left the finger handle dangle on his hand and he turned to Dizzy for a moment. Everything he had ever known about Gears was thrown out the window the instant he saw those wings and her hair change. He was still debating how take it, though he gave his word not to say anything. Silently, he put the shattered cup back on the ground.

They were on their way to the port where his men were to wait for them. Though much of the island had been blown to crap, as Hazrat liked to think, during the first part of the Crusades, the island was still much larger than most expected. With the installation on the southwestern tip of the island, his men knew to keep closer to Greece and move around the northern shore as opposed to the southern.

"I wonder how long the people here lasted..." Ky wondered out loud as he casually moved his hands over a singular support beam than stood as high as his chest.

Frowning, Haan said irritably, "Get a brain, Kiske. They didn't, that's why all we're seeing is a graveyard."

Solemnly, Dizzy walked through the streets and stood against the rusted husk of what could have been an automobile. "There couldn't have been more than a million people on this island... if there were other cities like this one."

Shrugging and ignoring Ky's glare, Haan said, "Well, it doesn't matter. This place has been dead for long enough. Let's go."

Ky, following Haan a few steps behind, marveled at the tense quiet that settled over their group. Not just that, save for the Rocs, there should have been more Gears around. Limited lifespans aside, it would have been strategically logical for a Gear production plant to have been made here.

There were too many questions that didn't have answers as he turned quickly to make sure Dizzy was close by. Though Haan had eased his fears a bit, he still didn't trust the mercenary. Even with the debt repaid, Ky knew that mercenaries' loyalties were always bought by the highest bidder.

Not loud enough for Haan to hear, Ky said, "If I remember right, Crete was a Gear control zone. There should be more here than just the Rocs."

"There were, actually." Dizzy said calmly. "When I stopped the them... I saw what they remembered... it was only vague details, but I was able to see a lot of infighting between Gears here when the Crusades ended. The Rocs won out."

With a careful glance at her, he wondered exactly how she was able to obtain that information. Considering she was indeed a Gear, she had some sort of kinship to them, but to be able to that far and read their memory was too uncanny. Already, the claims of a Second Justice were beginning to creep into his memory when he worked to find her in the first place.

He had never seen Justice itself command the Gears in the battlefield, rather he had only seen the results of its work. However, to see this made him think that perhaps those rumors concerning Dizzy were true. Yet, again, the fact that Dizzy was an exception and raised by humans prevented him from forming any sort of plan to... neutralize her if it came to that.

Again, she noticed his unsettling look and increased her pace to the docks ahead. Dizzy walked off a plank to another exposed section of the gravel road when she noticed something glittering in the sun. Kneeling over the pile of debris, she cleared the small pile to discover a small trinket attached to a chain. It looked like a small pearl anchor with a gold crown on the top, superimposed over what appeared to be three corn stalks.

"Mr. Kiske," Dizzy said standing up and dashing to him, "What's this?"

Noticing the article, he replied as though Dizzy's amazing find was common place, "That's a Fleur-de-lis."

"Fleur... huh?"

"It's a crest made in the fifteenth century of France. Often used by knights with connections to royalty. But most know it when Joan of Arc waved it as a banner during war with the English."

Looking back to the small trinket, she asked, "Do the objects on it signify anything?"

Nodding, Ky reached over and pointed to the differing items, "The corn stalks represent purity, chastity, and virtue. The crown stands for courage, and the anchor for hope."

Running her finger over the anchor, Dizzy could almost feel the hope of the one that wore it last. Although it was most likely lost during either an evacuation or when the person perished during the Crusades. If there was anything she needed right now, it was courage. She felt so scared, even among someone that was supposed to be protecting her.

Timidly, she turned to him and asked, "Do you think the previous owner would mind if I kept it for them?"

With no visible emotion, he shook his head, "Who ever had it last must have died long ago. Somehow, I don't think they'd object." With that, he walked off to follow Haan, expecting her to follow suit.

Though tempted to put the object in the satchel with the rest of the files they had acquired, she kept it in her hand, not wanting to part with it. She needed something, anything to remind her to keep going. Ky, though cruel as it sounded, was of no help to her.

She needed all the courage she could muster to survive.

"Of course, there are always other ways..." the red haired apparition whispered in her ear, appearing from nowhere," You could kill them both as they sleep. They wouldn't know until it's too late. You could even make it painless..."

Ignoring the woman, Dizzy ran forward as she saw Haan signaling the mariner on the docks ahead. Having pulled out a sphere the size of one's eye from his belt, he pulled out a cord from the back and lowered it into the water. Connecting the end of one cord to another attached to an apparatus on his belt, he flipped a small switch and soon a signal was sent into the water. Dizzy could hear the sonic pulse from within the water. If she remembered right, this was what was called sonar.

If she understood it right, the pulse would reach through the water and if the mariner caught it, they would return the signal within a matter of minutes. She kept silent as Haan waited for a reply patiently. Regardless, she felt she had to ask. After all, she could be wrong.

"What now?" she asked timidly.

He turned to her and looked at her with gaze she couldn't identify. Turning back to the water, he said, "we wait."

Turning to her guardian, she acknowledged his nod and sat against one of the pieces of stone that would have been an office still standing. She opened her palm and analyzed the trinket she had discovered a short while earlier. She did like the way it still shone after being abandoned all those years ago. If she had the chance, she'd get it put on a chain and make a necklace out of it. She looked up when she heard a response signal reaching Haan's beacon, but refrained from looking to Haan until she heard him speak.

"Hey, you," Haan muttered, "you'd better put those things away and change your hair back... however you did that," the mercenary said, indicating her wings.

Understanding, she retracted her wings back, holding in a groan of pain, knowing the displacements going on in her body were going to make it uncomfortable. As her hair changed color once more, Ky spoke up to Haan.

"There's something I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"By all rights, after all this, we are even. Why are you bothering not telling anyone when you could have demanded some extra money to keep your mouth shut?"

Haan frowned, "Because, I'm not going to waste her good will over technicalities."

Ky cocked an eyebrow. "Regardless of the fact she's a Gear?"

Haan pulled his goggles on and was about to put on his breather when he replied, "Yeah. There should be no problem, so lay off, alright?"

Ky didn't get a chance to reply as Haan dove into the water. He frowned back, though knowing Haan had a point he didn't want to admit to. He turned to his charge as the last strands of her hair turned from blue back to yellow, After that display with the Rocs, he was wondering what exactly it was he had taken into his care. He would get his chance to know at a later point as he too placed on his goggles and breather, then leaped into the water.

Dizzy was unsure whether or not Haan was doing her a service with that remark or not. If he was right and there was no problem, then may as well let it be. Placing her own gear on, she leaped into the water and followed Ky and Haan.

Through the water, she noticed their transportation moving slow enough to pick them up. Judging by the rust on its circular casings, she figured it must have been decommissioned a long time ago. When Haan and his group found this machine, it was on drydock and left in preservation for reasons now lost. She had overheard some of Haan's men noticing how hard it was to update the power source from the Black Tech to magic, so it made her think that it must have been before the Crusades.

A hatch opened on the roof, permitting the three of them to enter. One by one, they pulled themselves into the air chamber and proceeded to a small quarter meant for changing.

"It's a miracle this clunker still works," Haan spat as he walked to the bridge where the crew of the mariner awaited him. Dizzy noted how despite the lack of use had taken its toll, the machine was still in working order and the ride to and from the island was fairly smooth. Not as smooth as the Mayship, but since this was a sea vessel and not an airship, so it was to be expected.

Changed into a set of new clothes, Dizzy followed Ky up to the bridge and marveled at all the activity from the various lighted panels and stations. It was much more elaborate than the bridge of the Mayship, despite the various cracks in several of the screens, it was quite an amazing piece of work.

"What's our staus?" Haan said stepping up to the captain of the craft.

"We're several hours behind schedule sir. We're not going to be able to reach the island for the drop off according to schedule."

Folding his arms, Haan asked, "How long until we in safe territory to make a transmission?"

The captain inclined his head towards one of the screens, "not until we drop our guests off. There's a storm coming in and the long range transistor is on this thing is shot. Even with the tools we got, it's no good."

Haan sighed. "Of course. And this old relic was the only thing we could use."

Hearing something about a radios, Dizzy spoke up, "Um... if it would help, I could try and fix it."

Haan's eyes narrowed at Dizzy's request. Benefactor or no, he was slightly apprehensive about letting a Gear mess around with his group's equipment. He looked to Ky for a moment, hoping to get some kind of response. If Ky thought she was trustworthy enough, then it may not hurt... and he'd make sure Ky was around. Somehow, Ky was able to get this... Gear girl on a leash short enough so she'd behave herself.

"Sure," Haan muttered, "but you have to watch over her, Kiske." He walked up to Ky and as he passed him, whispered, "I want to talk with you later when she's asleep."

Ky nodded, knowing that he owed the man an explanation. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was certainly better than the alternative.

* * *

Watching the sun falling down in the west, Hildegard regarded the weather with evident disdain. She never liked sun showers. From her study, the rain disrupted her view of the coming evening from her safe house. She had still been communicating with her cabinet, though she disliked the concept of being an open target for the Bureau again. In addition, Gepetto's part of the plan was going underway. Once she got her hands on the plans Kiske was supposed to deliver to Gepetto, she could start mobilizing her men to destroy the rest of the factories. The only problem was that they were overdue. They were supposed to have been in Turkey by now.

A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts as she turned around. "Enter."

A young man, no older than twenty stepped in, dressed in a standard suit, despite his long and blond shoulder length hair, he was quite presentable.

"Prime Minister, you have a guest."

She nodded and said, "Send him in, Siegfried. I'm expecting him."

Siegfried nodded and stepped out, only to return with a familiar guest of hers.

Once Hildegard's attendant left, she gestured to a seat in front of her desk. "It's been a while, Slayer."

The Romanian nodded and took a chair looking to the western sky. "Yes, Hildegard..."

He was about to continue when she held up a hand, "The Shadow Hearts aside, I prefer to be called by my given name."

Slayer nodded apologetically, "Forgive me, Karin. However, I'd think you would have gotten used to it by now."

Taking her own seat, Karin sighed. "I should. But, to be given a different name when speaking with a group that's supposed to be balancing the reigns of power takes a greater toll than one would think."

With a humorous smile, Slayer said, "Would you rather have been called the Joan of the Rhine?"

"No." Karin replied flatly. "And more than that, it's too long and too pretentious." Then her gaze grew suspicious, "But I doubt you came here for idle chit-chat?"

Evidently pleased, Slayer nodded, "Very astute of you, Frau Koenig. I came to inform you that the Guardian of the Day has succeeded in his first step, though he nearly stumbled."

With a palm on her forehead, Karin groaned. "Of course. But the Bureau doesn't know yet, do they?"

Slayer's smile grew mischievous. "Oh come now, do you really think the Bureau wouldn't think that the boy would attack them?"

"Of course I do. The problem is what will happen once Ky gets off of his leave. There could be accusations left and right they want to use against him. Worse yet, they can buy enough witnesses to have him hanged."

"And the respect he has garnered would avail him nothing?"

"Hero of the Crusades or not, if the U.N. Council find enough evidence, then they'll be able to hang him without a trial. They don't even listen to the public anymore. I'm supposed to be serving the people of Germany and yet that power is being taken out of my hands for personal gain by forces beyond my control."

Slayer blew a small smoke ring out of his pipe before standing up. "I wouldn't worry so much...yet, anyway. You and the rest of the Shadow Hearts are more than adequately prepared should the worst occur."

Karin's frown did not diminish. "I hope we don't have to resort to that contingency. Bad enough the U.N.'s stripping away the rights of people without them knowing it, be even worse if we had to do it."

Slayer let loose an amused chuckle before he made for the door. "If it's of any comfort to you, my dear, when people are told the truth with sincerity, they may concur with your actions whether they like it or not. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time such measures had to be taken in order to avoid widespread bloodshed."

Karin leaned back in her chair and mumbled, "I wish I had your confidence."

Slayer's smile remained as he opened the door. "It comes with the longevity that Nightwalkers have, child. And if you live long enough, you'll understand too."

* * *

As evening set on the island of Karpathos, three people in civilian garb walked through the port town's busy streets as indiscriminately as they could. Ky, Dizzy, and Haan, now in a change of clothes, had to make sure they made a relay to the island to charter a ride to Turkey. However, when they had reached the harbor master, they had found to their dismay that the last ship heading out had already left and the next ferry wouldn't be arriving until the next morning.

Moving through the crowd of people, the multiple street vendors, performers, and what not, Haan kept his eye out for anything suspicious. Growing up in slums gave him a keen sense of things that weren't supposed to be there. However, considering how most people in Karpathos were simply getting by, the area itself should have posed no real threat or cause of concern for the PWAB, however, he still felt suspicious whenever he went into unfamiliar territory.

"As much as I would love to stick around you guys, I'd best be off," Haan said indicating the direction where the mariner was docked and waiting for him. His part of the contract was to escort Ky and his charge through the operation and said nothing concerning their return route to the U.N. territories. "Just remember, this island isn't U.N. jurisdiction."

Ky, making double sure the Thunder Seal was hidden as a common long sword on his belt, nodded. "We should be alright long enough to keep ourselves inconspicuous long enough to find a few seats on the ferry."

Nodding, Haan turned and walked calmly from them as though he were bidding farewell to an old friend, in spite of his tense peace with Ky. Every several steps, he turned around to make sure they were out of sight and when they finally turned a corner, he sighed and recalled why he had taken this mission in the first place. The job was done by an intermediary of the Shadow Hearts and not them directly. In fact, the man that gave them the offer didn't seem affiliated with them in any way.

* * *

"Who are you?" Haan asked the man in the cloak bluntly. The cause for that was the amount the man had agreed to pay him up front and a bonus on completion of the mission. It was easily enough to put all his men and himself into retirement. It was too good to be true, henceforth Haan was already suspicious.

Earlier that day, he had gone to the bounty office to check on what could have been a job for he and his men, but as always, they was little to nothing. It aggravated him that the jobs he got were the castoffs from the U.N. countries or the ones they didn't want. That was when a man in a cloak and cowl appeared to him with a proposition.

The man stood calmly in the bunker they called their 'offices'. It had been run down for a while due to the little business they were able to aquire. Their headquarters were at one time a base of operations for the Middle Eastern charter of the Holy Order when it worked in collaboration with the remnants of the Middle Eastern Resistance. Muscle work for mafia, working in the reconstruction, and the odd bounty were the only things his group could subsist on. All his men, save for the hidden security detail, were out and waiting for their next job.

He was in the middle of phoning a few favors from people that owed him when he felt someone entering the base. Not many people knew about their base of operations and simply considered it a hang out for roughnecks and bounty hunters. In fact, if one wanted their services, they had to know the local dialect and pass word to gain entry. However, hard times had forced them to ease up on some of the criteria since starvation didn't care if they did or not.

Fingering his estus blade, he was ready to charge the intruder when he felt himself paralyzed at the presence of this man. He let go of his weapon and sat back down, feeling completely helpless at the appearence of the intruder. The man had stood in the center of his office and discussed his proposition, then Haan regained control of himself and asked who his guest was. He could tell the man was smirking beneath his hood as he replied calmly, "No one of consequence."

Haan's frown grew. "I don't think so. You want me to escort a hero of the Crusades and another to a hidden installation to blow it up? Come on, what's the catch?"

Innocently, the man replied, "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Leaning against his rackety chair, Haan answered, "As far as most mercenary groups go, we're just a bunch of thugs, why us?"

"Why not?"

Haan found no answer to that. Yet, persisted. "What's so special about this mission that would bring Kiske this sort of deal?"

The man stood up and reached into the folds of his robe. Haan was ready to pull his blade out when he found it was just a brief case. "Because Kiske plays an important role. And he carries with him something important, possibly the hope of the world. Perhaps yours as well." The man placed the case on the desk and opened it slowly to find it stuffed with the exact amount he had promised. The man continued, his words becoming impossible to resist. "There is only mutual benefit to be found here, my friend."

Cautiously, Haan reached forward and took one of the wads of World Dollars and paged through a few of them. He looked back up to the man, no doubt smiling beneath the shadows of his hood and then sighed in resignation. He silently prayed that Allah would forgive him if this was a mistake.

He indicated the case full of money when he said, "How can you afford something like this?"

The man, knowing Haan had accepted, turned towards the exit and said, "Because something as trivial as money is my servant, not my master. And it has served me well."

* * *

Haan frowned once more. Knowing that the 'hope of the world' was some sorta Gear that looked pretty much like a human was a very bitter pill to swallow. Regardless, she had saved him and if that was any indication as to what kind of person that girl was... perhaps that man's words had some merit.

End chapter 8

Notes:

I'll be honest. I had NO idea it would come to this island when I started writing this story. Again, major thanks go our to 'ma brathas in ficshun krime'.

The Rocs were always something I figured that could be worked with since we never had a good description of them, save for the ones you see in the anime intro of GGX+. Gives a bit of variety for the kind of enemies humanity had and of course, we couldn't let humanity get screwed over too much, as per my friend's words. Got plans for those things, yes we do, precious.

Bruce makes a semi-triumphant return to the spot light before his significance is lost on me. We still gots a way to go before his character will truly get a chance to shine, however. But I think it will be worth the wait.

I did some checking on Crete and found out that their population ranges from half a million to three quarters of a million. I figure that by the time the Crusades began, it would have gotten that much, maybe more and it was simply overcrowded by the time Justice was kicking all their hinders.

As for the little scene with Karin and Slayer, foreshadows galore! What more could anyone ask for? Oh, a plot maybe? That would be good, but we apologize, for we are out of Plot and it will take roughly six to eight weeks for delivery. Please bear with us.

Finally; at last! My favorite character in the GG world appears. That Man. Ever mysterious, ever ambiguous, and ever vague! The plot wouldn't go forward like it has without him. Pulling the strings, never knowing whether he's good or evil, and so on. He's cool that way. But no need to worry, I'll be sure to curb my enthusiasm. This story wouldn't be where it is now if I didn't. Oh, and That Man's comment about money is something to note. I heard it a long time ago and it's still stuck to this day.

Finally; Karin and the Shadow Hearts belongs to Aruze and all things GG belongs to Sammy, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and Arc Systems.


	9. Shadow with the Spear

Waiting for the storm to subside had resulted in the investigation of the destroyed factory at Crete being delayed. Much of the mountain had fallen on top of the structure and with little time to excavate the whole area, they had to search for what evidence of the intruders.

Two men, dressed in unassuming clothes, looked at the completely submerged entrance to the factory. With little to go by, one of them went to the still covered area of where the sniper's nest once was.

"Great… just great," the first man said looking at the rubble, "I thought this place was supposed to be a secret."

The second man, sifting through the nest's remaining electronics, yelled back irritably, "If it were a secret, no one would have found it, you moron!"

"But it doesn't make sense, we've had this place for five years, no one's found it until now. So, what I'm asking is how they were able to find this in the first place."

Pulling out a panel, the second man yelled, "It had to me some of those smokers from Zepp. They get so damn high from all the black tech they inhale, they don't even know what they're doing."

The first man walked to the entrance and pulled open a small panel, revealing a recorder, connected to other listening devices to receive any sort of idea as to whom the intruders were. Likewise, the other man retrieved a recording of the activity of the factory as it happened.

Moving to another part of the nest, he placed the recording in a player and soon enough, the only screen that appeared unharmed in the raid, lit up and replayed the events from earlier that day.

Moving through the recording, the man saw the men dressed in black taking out the guards that were to be taken out the next day. Whoever these men were, they were good. However, there seemed to be two others, a man and a woman, that seemed a bit out of place. As the recording followed them, he swore beneath his breath when he noticed those two enter the offices at the back. The recorders were not operational for some reason and all he had was them departing with one less man. Which meant the body of one of the intruders was still there.

However, with all the rock and dirt in the way, it would take weeks before they'd find out whom it was. Then, he saw the man's sword light up with lightning and the frown on his face grew.

"I don't believe it…"

"What?" the second man asked, climbing up to stand beside him.

"The top brass are going to love this..." the man said humorlessly pointing to the figure on the screen fending off several dozen Robo-Kys with a sword that lit with lightning.

"Is that...?"

"Yep. Not only that, if the files the girl that had with her are the ones I think they are, we're going to have a nightmare of a time trying to keep this under wraps."

The second man nodded in agreement, knowing too well how the higher ups would take it. They would say, in unemotional ways, that unless they found a way to rectify the situation, they'd be out of jobs and subsequently killed. Suddenly, his eyebrows rose in inspiration and he started down the ladder.

"Come on! We gotta go."

"What's the hurry?" the other man said, following suit.

Moving down to the vehicle they used to reach the ruins, he replied hurriedly, "I got an idea. It may not stop Kiske, but it may give us some time to prepare ourselves."

Landing on the steel floor, the other man asked, "How so?"

"First, we need to get to the Executors Committee. I think they'll agree to it."

"You sure?"

"I hope so, because, we're as good as dead if it doesn't work."

* * *

Wading through the streets of Kalavarda, Rhodes, Dizzy's ears picked up a familiar sound as she moved towards a small establishment where she saw several children, sitting on the ground, listening to a radio placed upon a table.

A dramatic melody played while a masculine voice, attempting to sound heroic, proclaimed, "Aha! The Grand Papillion has been revived! Now, you, with the silly outfit, release those children or else face the righteous fury of my rippling muscles!"

She was about to join the children listening to the radio program when Ky's hand tapped her shoulder. She jumped a bit and turned to see him incline his head elsewhere. Without argument, she recanted and followed him further into the town.

When the crowds in the streets had thinned out somewhat, he moved to her side and asked casually, "You listen to the radio?"

Nodding a bit, she answered, "Sometimes we'd get a chance to hear the signals when we were over European territory. I was able to convince Novel, back with the Jellyfish, to build me a simple radio so I could hear what's going on."

"What do you pick up... besides the entertainment broadcasts?"

"Not much. The news was usually what we got." Dizzy paused in her pleasant memory when she asked, "but there's always some sort of fight going on over something. I don't understand; if the Crusades ended, shouldn't have things gotten better?"

Ky shook his head, "No. Not long after the end of the war, many nations pulled out of the U.N. over several technicalities…some significant, others for a minor offense."

"But..." Dizzy wanted to say how wrong that was, but there was no point, and she silenced herself.

"Again, child, you see that they can't even live amongst themselves." The ghost said, materializing for only a moment before it vanished again with a mental roar from Dizzy. She was beginning to grow weary of this person's relentless taunting.

The heart of Kalavarda was surprisingly well maintained despite being brought to its knees like Crete was. Houses were rebuilt, power and water restored, industry in a primitive form was vibrant, and it seemed like the standard of living among the people here was certainly better than most areas.

Even during the evening, families, individuals, and couples were out for walks, going out to eat a meal at one of the smaller restaurants, or simply going to meet friends. It was a peaceful atmosphere neither one had felt in a long time. However, it was a feeling Ky knew would not last. The peace here was intoxicating. The human interaction around him was strong enough to make him join a conversation with someone of the French population that had moved south during the war.

He had to restrain himself when he asked a random passerby where a nearby inn could take a pair of people waiting for a ferry to the mainland. He was directed to a small area were most travelers took as a go-between when going between islands. Their ticket on the following day's ferry paid, what little money imparted from Haan could be used to give themselves a bed to sleep in for the night and possibly a warm meal. If luck were with them, then they'd be able to return to the U.N. territories with little incident.

Ky was already fast asleep and it wasn't long before the specter reappeared to torment Dizzy in the silence. Unlike the times before, the ghost merely sat on the ground, staring at her with an unsettling smile. "Who are you?" Dizzy whispered as she lay on her side on the bed she had.

"You know who I am, but it hasn't come back yet," the woman said reclining against Ky's bed. She knew that she wasn't there, and that she only saw it, Ky felt nothing, this was in her imagination.

Dizzy frowned and curled up further on her bed, gathering her sheets like a protective barrier. "I know... I have this feeling that I know you... but it's not a good feeling. I don't like it."

The woman shrugged casually. "Whether you like it or not is irrelevant."

Not satisfied with the answer, Dizzy pressed, "What is it you want?"

"To give you a much better idea as to who and what you are." The woman said.

With a frown, Dizzy turned over to her side, not facing her guest. "A monster... like you said?"

The woman smirked and continued, "Yes... and no. You're more than what these humans are. What they consider a monster is something they can't control like some dumb animal."

Dizzy tried her best to ignore the woman's words. But somehow, she still wondered exactly how it was she was able to control the Rocs back on Crete. It was if her mind had grown into something much more than she could handle. She was herself and the brain of the Rocs all at once.

Picking up on Dizzy's thoughts, the woman continued, "It's all part of your power, child. There's a specific trait in each and every Gear ever produced that allows a Commander, like yourself, to override their motor functions with little to no effort. In addition, you can completely overpower Gear sensory protocols and make them your own. It's like putting yourself into every single one of them. And yet your hands would never get dirty as you would kill these humans with no effort at all."

"I don't want to hurt anyone..."

"Hmph, you would be doing them a favor. Considering how much longer you will live compared to them, it wouldn't make a difference if they grew to maturity or not. You, on the other hand, can outlive each and every one of them if you so desired."

Turning around, Dizzy replied in shock. "How can you say such a thing?"

Unconcerned with her reaction, the woman answered, "The truth is quite easy to state, despite its harsh bite."

Frowning, Dizzy countered, "True or not, I won't do it. No matter how easy it seems."

With an ominous smile, the woman said quietly, "That would be a mistake. The one you 'depend' upon as your guardian is so heavily rooted in his hatred of your kind that he would kill you on instinct."

Turning to Ky, she noticed that he was turning slightly in his sleep. In barely audible tones, she could hear him struggle with an nightmare. The only words she could make out were 'Gears', 'monsters', and small phrases in which showed his fear of her.

"You see?" the woman continued, "he fears you. In his dreams, in his mind, in his habits, it all shows just how much he loathes your presence and wishes for your death."

Dizzy shook her head. "No. You're wrong."

The woman cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, why don't you try? Wake him from his dream and ask him in if he would hurt you on the base of your heritage."

Dizzy wanted to say she was wrong, but there was a stinging hint of truth in what she said. Regardless, she didn't want to believe that Ky was some heartless soldier or bounty hunter. There had to be a human inside. There had to be. She'd seen it already, he hadn't killed her, but lingering suspicion kept the back of her brain buzzing.

She looked to the window to see the dawn starting to appear in the east. Her discussion with whomever it was had lasted all night. Though she didn't require as much sleep as most others, she would still feel quite exhausted for the next day. With any luck, she would be able to rest on the ferry.

Pushing the sheets off, Dizzy moved softly from her bed and padded across the carpeted floor of their modest sized room to Ky's bed. Though he appeared to be sleeping soundly, she couldn't ignore the dull hum of the Thunder Seal, still clutched in his hand, under the covers. Though it was still sheathed, she could hear its whine through the heavy leather.

Slowly, she reached out to Ky's shoulder, hoping to wake him up with as little fuss as possible. The sooner they got on their way, the better.

* * *

In a field at dusk, a younger Ky walked slowly through the fields of grass. He was taking careful steps over the dirt so as not to step on any stones on with his bare feet. He looked to the sun as it turned a deeper hue of red, caused by the smokes from the fires of war in the distance. His attention was drawn when he heard a single voice beginning to chant.

_Os Iusti Meditabitur sapientiam et lingua eius loquetur indicium_

He looked to the south and saw his mother was the source of the sacred text. As always, she was beautiful to him. The sun's light shone off her silver colored hair and its silk like texture danced in the wind as it blew across her face. She stood tall on the unpaved road with her hands clasped together, holding the cross Ky cherished so.

_beatus vir qui suffert tentationem quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coron vitae_

Excited, Ky ran to his mother, but for every step he took, he was no closer to her. It was almost like she was keeping him away. As she sang, tears started to fall from her eyes and to soaked her shirt and the ground with water many times its original amount.

_Kyrie, Ignis divine, elesion_

As Ky's own tears started to fall, she looked to the sky, pleading to the heavens. Her voice never shook, in spite of her sorrow. Her green eyes growing dark as her despair increased.

_O quam sancta quam serena quam benigma quam amoena O castitatis lilium_

As her song ended, she turned to Ky. There was no joy in her eyes when she looked at him. Her head was bowed in shame and anguish. Ky was about to ask why she was so sad when flame began to dance around them and consume the field.

He turned in fear at the ravenous fires and back to his mother, hoping to find some help. When he turned back, his mother was still distanced from her and she did nothing as the fire enveloped her, reducing her to nothing.

Alone, Ky turned away and ran on the path to somewhere safe. However, an inhuman roar froze him in his tracks as he saw several large shadows move past him. They consisted of large birds, hideous four legged beasts, human sized monsters that reeked of death. Commanding them, an armored monster roared with hatred as its heart.

"Kill them all! Spare none of the young, the old, weak, or strong!"

Ky fell backward on the path as the demon stomped through the fires. It was looking for him! Getting back to his feet, he ran as fast as he could, despite the smoke choking his throat.

Looking back, he saw the demon that could only have been Justice starting to follow him. With tears in his eyes, he pushed his small legs as much as he could for his life. Ahead, he saw a forest. There was a devil there, but it was far safer than out here.

Justice's footsteps caused earthquakes with every step, attempting to throw his balance off. However, he still had a large enough lead in front and with a flying leap, he was able to slip through some branches, effectively sealing off Justice's pursuit of him. He still ran, when Justice's roars followed him when it couldn't.

He lost track of time as he traversed deeper into the forest. Why, he wasn't sure. But something was drawing him in and he couldn't resist. In the darkness of the forest, he saw eyes watching him, but not moving. All their eyes were red, and with every pair of eyes, there was an insignia he recognized on what would be their foreheads... if they were human.

None of them blinked and he wasn't sure if they were watching him to hunt him or not. He could hear them breathing and it frightened him. What did they want? Why were they watching him?

He got no further as Justice burst through the forest and landed in front of him. He tried to run, but its metal clad tail grasped his ankle and forced him to the ground. He looked back to see Justice spasm heavily. He wondered what was wrong as from within the suit of armor when the plates broke apart to show Dizzy fall outward from the metal shell. When she landed, she breathed heavily, her skin was covered in perspiration and blood, and the air she exhaled was hot and venomous.

With his ankle still latched onto the metallic appendage from Justice's body, he failed to escape as Dizzy started to crawl towards him, with a homicidal look in her eyes. The insignia he had seen on Gears similarly glowed on her forehead. With every grasp of the ground with her hands, they became more beast-like and clawed, just like all the Gears were.

Ky's fear took hold of him as he tried to flee, but Dizzy's hand reached out and the nails extended into long and sharp weapons. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms as the nails drew closer.

* * *

The instant her hand touched the fabric on his shoulder, Ky's eyes shot open. She held back a screech of fright when she was tossed roughly to the ground. In an instant her neck was held in the crook of Ky's hand and the tip of the Thunder Seal only centimeters from her face. The Implement was evidently not sheathed as she felt its ravenous hunger for Gear blood scream in her ears.

Ky's heavy breathing and murderous glare froze her as she held onto his wrist with both of her hands. Her instinct to grasp for air grew stronger as she tried to ignore the horrible thumping of her heart in her chest and the lack of air in her lungs.

When the heat of the moment had passed, Ky realized what he nearly did and practically threw himself off of her and back onto his own bed. Dizzy coughed, as the oxygen returned and she turned away from him, barely escaping her own death at Ky's hands.

She didn't want to admit it, but the woman was right. As tears welled up in her eyes, she tried to hold back the sobs that would eventually come. Yet, the gravity of the situation was too much for her still healing mind to bear.

Across the room, Ky looked at his hands and back to Dizzy. He was still breathing heavily and the adrenaline was starting to wear off. When he started to hear the Gear he was to watch over start to sob, he knew that things could get worse unless something happened, "Dizzy... I... I don't know...It was a reflex."

"Are you sure it wasn't something else..." Dizzy replied between sniffs. He was surprised at the sudden surge of bitterness in her voice, yet knew he had it coming.

Not liking where this conversation had gone, he replied defensively, "I was a soldier for most of my life. All I ever did was fight Gears."

She turned to him, tears flowing out of her eyes, evident she had grown weary of this treatment. "I know, my dad fought Gears too. Longer than you did, in fact. But I don't remember him doing what you just did. So, why!"

Now it was Ky's turn to be angered. "Did you ever think of what it was like to live in the Crusades? I don't want to remember what my youth was because it was a waking nightmare. Everyday, you knew Gears were attacking and killing people somewhere in the world. Nearly everyone around me, no matter what period of my life, was being killed because of the Gears. Every facet of my life was changed because of Gears. The only Gears I ever met were trying to kill me!"

For a visible moment, the Hero of the Crusades, head of the Paris Branch of the International Police Force was gone. In his place, was a regular person. With fears and vices that could consume him as easily as a fire devoured a forest. She could see this and wasn't pleased at all.

She responded in shock at his words, "Did I ever try to hurt you? It's not fair that you think that I'd do anything like that."

His grip on the Thunder Seal growing tighter, Ky responded, bordering on a growl, "It's rather hard to see things like that when you've done nothing but fight Gears like Justice and Testament."

Wiping away the torrent of tears on her face, she responded heatedly, hitting her hands on the bedding in frustration, "Maybe, but I'm not your enemy! I'm not them. I'm me!"

The look he gave her was a peculiar one indeed. Slowly, his hardened features softened and he looked to the floor in deliberation. Her crying still reached his ears as he started to realize just what he was doing. Finally, he said calmly, "So you are..." he reached beneath the covers and pulled out the sheath, placing the sword in slowly, "so you are." Still lost in his deliberation, he reached for his bag and started to pack the few sparse items they had taken with them.

Though wary of what just happened, Dizzy also gathered her effects and followed the routine to check out of the inn and to the docks where the first ferry would be waiting for them.

* * *

The streets were nearly empty as they trekked through the town to the docks. Kiske pulled the top of his cap lower and made sure not to make eye contact with anyone. The mists of the dawn would also help for a few more hours and by then, they'd be long gone.

Ky turned again to Dizzy, still following close behind him with a wary eye. He couldn't blame her, though. What little trust they did have in each other was blown to pieces after that little spectacle he had just done in the inn. Looking ahead to the harbormaster's office, he readied his ticket and displayed it briefly to her as a signal to do the same. She nodded and pulled out her own as he knocked on the weathered wooden door. A slate opened up and the face of a wrinkled older man appeared.

Ky and Dizzy waved their tickets to him, showing they had booked passage on the earliest ferry. With a careful eye, the man behind nodded once and turned to the ocean. "Second pier. Leaves in half an hour. Whatever business you had here, stays here. Understood?"

Ky nodded and put his ticket back into his pocket. It was obvious that many here often used this time to leave the island whenever they had no desire to call attention to themselves. Walking on the rickety wooden boards of the pier, Ky considered the countless illegal activities that also could have conducted in such a manner. Especially when he considered that most transportation wasn't supposed to operate until sunrise. It was an unwritten and unofficial law that could easily be abused by those wishing to circumvent the law. And here he was doing the same thing, an I.P.F. officer doing it.

They quickly made it onto the boat, being rushed by, and quickly finding a place to sit. This early ferry was a rough procedure. The boat they had was like many used even before the Crusades. With two floors, one could choose to either sit in a rather spacious cabin or sit on the deck to watch the seemingly endless ocean as it went by. It wasn't the fastest or most efficient of modes of transportation, but it did its job well. They'd be leaving soon.

As Ky walked up to the higher deck, he took another look back at his charge and the unpleasant memory of the previous day's events returned.

* * *

Though he expected Haan to be unhappy at the knowledge of Dizzy's true nature, he didn't expect the mercenary to grab him by the collar and slam him against the opposing wall. The metal still hurt, despite it being as old as it was. To further show Haan's displeasure, the tip of his Estus Blade was pointed at the soft underside of Ky's jaw and ready to fire.

"Alright, Kiske, you got one minute to tell me why I shouldn't kill you for bringing a Gear here!"

All things considered, Ky assumed Haan wouldn't have bothered to give him the chance to explain. Regardless, his survival training kicked in and he threw off Haan against the opposing wall. "If you'll calm down, I'll explain."

Haan did not take the joke well as he removed the safety of his blade and was ready to strike again. "Give me the short of it."

Keeping an eye on Haan's weapon, Ky answered, "I don't know much myself, but someone was able to give birth to a half-Gear, half-human. She's the result."

Looking back to the room Dizzy now slept in, he turned back and growled, "And no one knew about this recently because...?"

Now it was Ky's turn to frown. "Because she's only four. People didn't discover her only until a year ago."

Haan became more shocked than angry. "What? Are you serious?"

Ky folded his arms, irritation growing on his face. "Tell me, why would I lie about something like this?"

Understanding Ky's point, Haan pulled the weapon away and put it in his belt. "So, what exactly happened? I thought some Chinese girl killed her and got the bounty."

Ky shook his head. "I did my own investigation and it turned out that only bounty hunters were the ones getting hurt. Turns out that everyone injured was a result of her acting in self-defense. Each and every one of them went after her for more than just the money. Even I admit, I got carried away and nearly killed her. However, I later learned that she had joined the Jellyfish Pirates and Jam came forth to claim the reward. Since she was 'officially' dead, I didn't follow the matter. However, the Pirates were attacked and most likely dead, and now she's in my care."

Haan folded his arms and glared straight into Ky's eyes, speaking of how little he did believe the policeman, but knew he had no choice. The fact remained that he was still alive thanks to the Gear that was sleeping only a few meters away from them.

Running his hand through his hair, Haan sighed in resignation. "Fine. Just make sure that we don't cross paths again. This is all hard to take, Kiske and I won't let something like this throw everything off. It's bad enough that I lost a man because of your Gear, but the fact that the same one saved my life is a _very_ bitter pill for me to swallow. A Gear gutted the man that used to run this group. And I saw every bit of it. So don't forget; as soon as we go our separate ways, I don't know you."

Ky stood alone as Haan stomped back to the bridge, trying to calm himself down to maintain the ruse he now had to show until he and Dizzy left their crew. He wouldn't say it, but he was more in agreement with Haan than he wanted to admit. And ironically, Dizzy hadn't even stirred during the whole ordeal.

* * *

Clasping both hands together, he stared blankly into space as the ferry's engines revved up and started on their way from the dock out to the mainland. The wind rustled his hair away from his eyes as the occasional droplet of water splashed onto his face, yet it still did not break his concentration.

However, the events of earlier that morning weighed even heavier on his mind than the one with Haan. It also lead to a critical self-review as to everything he did and thought the day he was given the charge to take care of Dizzy. The result was not a pleasant one to think about. The only answer thing he could place a name to what the results said was a hypocrit. He hated the thought, but knew it was true.

Hoping she was still nearby, he said calmly; "Luveria."

Behind him, Dizzy looked from the ocean to him. "Yes?"

He closed his eyes and let his head droop. "I've done you a great wrong. Worse than the first time we met, in fact. Ever since you were put into my care, I've treated you worse than I should have. I can only hope you'll forgive me."

The apology and admonition of guilt caught her off guard. However, she was still wary as she replied, "Why do you say that?"

Not knowing that he was still being watched diligently, he continued, "Because only now do I realize that I've been treating you the same way Sol treats me. I don't like that. I hate it the way he treats me when all I want is him to acknowledge me." He turned to her. "And here I am doing the same to you." He shook his head and continued, "I'm not pleased with myself at all."

The features on Dizzy's face softened a bit as she sat back and said, bordering on a whisper, "People can change, can't they?"

He looked to her, noting how the first rays of the sun were reflecting on a few strands of her magic-disguised hair. Before the pause they had grew any more awkward, he nodded. "Does that mean you forgive me, then?"

A semblance of her smile returned as she nodded. "Yes, but only if you'll tell me more about your family when it's time."

His eye cocked at the unusual request. "When it's time?"

"Yes. I thought about what happened when I first asked about your mother. I realized it really wasn't any of my business. If you want to tell me about it, you'll do it on your own time. I can wait until then."

The sun's rays started to move on his face as he nodded his head in appreciation. She was right. The person in front of him wasn't Justice or Testament. This was Luveria Moroumetz; a Gear that acted more human that he had been during the past few months.

* * *

The wind was always harsh in the remains of what used to be a vibrant civilization. Even before the Crusades, there was always some sort of conflict, be it based in religion, economics, or politics. Before the Gears appeared, it was always some conflict created by some warlord with government backing to suppress those who would not be silenced. Then Justice swept across the once beautiful desert and turned it red with the blood.

It was the people of the deserts that knew that conventional firearms would not work and only a return to the ancient arts of melee combat would ensure the survival of their people and culture. Though many were lost, the people of the desert adapted far faster than the other peoples of the world and utilized the environment to their advantage. However, they were not so foolish to assume they could ever hope to truly defeat Justice and all they could do was simply remain vigilant whenever the Gears came to attack. As the years went by, the consistent and repeated attacks by Justice whittled down their numbers from one of the largest groups of people, into less than a few million.

When word of Justice's sealing and subsequent defeat reached their ears, they returned to the homes of their ancestors and rededicated themselves to their faith. Where there was once several war zones over political and religious ideology, now there were thriving cities populated by peoples who would survive.

Yet, though events had settled for nearly a decade, there were whispers going around of an imminent attack from a human enemy. Though shocked, the people were not so foolish not to ignore the warnings. To the local leaders of the smaller villages, they often received warnings from a source that refused to be named; yet the message remained the same.

Those who rule from the shadows are going to take your lands by force.

Abdullah Yusuf adjusted his glasses to bring the records he had discovered recently into focus. In one of the many caves, hidden within a man made vault, he had found these precious journals and records of people that had lived before and during the Crusades. It was a miracle that the records of his people before the Crusades were not only safe from the Gears, but also so well preserved that with enough time, he could create copies of this and spread it to his people. Perhaps, if it spread through the world, maybe they could avoid the mistakes of the past.

Abdullah was not a young man, but he was not old, and as such, was considered by many of his peers to be rather over idealistic for being only thirty. Their home, if the records of the Old World were true, was a constant battle zone and would always be. However, he would not be deterred. To him, it was the hope of Allah that wisdom would lead men to truth and away from the hate and ignorance that plagued mankind so. With a wry smile, he silently admitted that they were right about him, but he didn't care.

A rumble brought him out of his thoughts as he stood from his desk and walked out of his modest home. It wasn't the same when the Gears attacked. A herd of Gears were much more constant and steady. The beats of the ground seemed more irregular. In the setting sun to the west, he could see several large objects, all detail blurred by the twilight, and approaching the small hamlet he and his family lived in.

Though he had no proof, he had a feeling that whatever those things were, it did not bode well.

"Father, what are those?" his young son, Mahmoud, said running out of the house.

"I don't know." Abdullah said, "but if that's what we were warned about, tell everyone to get to the shelters. I won't be far behind."

The people of this region of Pakistan were no strangers to combat. When the Gears ceased to move on Justice's command, there would often be packs of wild Gears that would attack them indiscriminately. Then, there were the men that claimed to be from the U.N., wanting to take out the Black Water that was meant to be the remaining treasure of their homeland.

Abdullah and the other leaders of the area had refused, since they had no intention of leaving the land of their ancestors. When those who ruled from the shadows attempted to remove them by force, they fought back and drove them out on more than one occasion.

Squinting his eyes, he also saw in the distance multiple smaller shapes, but no less imposing than the giants as the rumbling grew louder. Not wishing to find out what they were face to face, he turned back to his home, grabbed what records he could in his arms and dashed to the shelter, hidden amid the rocks and rubble of the mountain their village rested by. He wanted to fight this threat, but he and the village he lived in consisted mostly of older men, women, and a growing number of children. They were not meant for combat.

With each passing moment, he felt the thumping of the ground sounding more pulsing, like something was walking. Like a giant was drawing closer with every step. He had fought against Gears face to face and lost many friends fighting against them. As a result, he held no fear for the inhuman monsters that had plagued the world for a whole century. This, however, was something different. The sound of the weight gave him in the impression that they were made of a great amount of metal and he wasn't foolish enough to run against something like that head on.

As he closed the heavy reinforced door which lead to an escape path near the river, he stayed behind to hear the man made earthquake reach its peak in its intensity. He was tempted to open the door and see what exactly it was that threatened them so. When he saw the rock above the tunnel beginning to loosen, he dashed down the hallway, knowing that whatever it was, they would not have their way with them for long.

For now, their lands were gone, but they would reclaim them and throw out these outsiders who would think to force their will upon others.

* * *

As the sun's last rays reached across the darkening horizon, the ferry from Rhodes finally reached the port in Izmir, Turkey. Two of the its passengers, Ky Kiske and Luveria Moroumetz, watched the rest city's lights shine to give a beacon of sorts for the other boats to find and even the strip for the airships coming in from the north.

Pulling the cap lower over her face, Dizzy readjusted the jacket and trousers she had received from Haan's men, noting that it was a size or two too large for her. In an outfit similar to Ky's, she followed him along with the rest of the passengers picked up in Marmaris and Bodrum. They were both wearing normal clothing, something Kiske didn't like; he preferred his former Seikishidan robes. She and Ky had kept to themselves to as not to arouse suspicion, which oddly enough gave her a chance to see the hard skin start to break. Though it was still difficult for him to open up, she could see he was trying to improve himself.

It didn't bother her to tell him more about her relatively peaceful, though too short, childhood back in Porvoo. To her elation, he had listened to every detail and had asked questions about the little things she hadn't considered at the time.

Now, they had to keep quiet as they traveled through more crowded streets and uncertain avenues. The moist air hung heavy around them with even more exotic scents, noises, and activity. Modes of transportation ranging from horses to taxis kept the pedestrians off the streets as people of high status flaunted their wealth gained by the Crusades and post-war activities.

In this particular part of town, a large number of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans migrated to the Eurasia to escape from the Gear threat many years ago. During the intervening years, they had long since settled into the areas and even with the defeat of Justice, the original refugees had long since passed on and few of their successors felt any inclination to return to the land of their origin.

In spite of the occasional spat between the cultures, many people would come through to see how well the Asian population had survived and adapted. Such was the density of their people, that Ky and Dizzy found their movement a little awkward as they moved with the flow of other people down the street.

"How are we going to get back to Greece?" Dizzy asked quietly.

Looking around the various signs directing to other parts of the town, he replied, "By all rights, there should be a train station with links to the E.U. There are still a lot of trains that go around these areas."

Unlike automobiles, trains had adapted much easier to the switch from coal to 'magic'. In many cases, abandoned stations reopened to meet the growing need of transportation. Even during the Crusades, there were many lines going between some countries. Even some of the older trains that were decommissioned at least a decade before the advent of 'magic' were refurbished and used often.

"Will we be able to make it?"

"We should, with the money that Haan lent us. Then, we have to get in touch with Aeon and then we return to Paris."

She nodded, knowing that the 'official reason' for her absence at the Paris I.P.F., was to be a temporary reassignment to Greece. If Ky was right, they could take their time and return to the E.U. at a slower pace and if they met resistance, they'd have more time to work around it.

The crowd soon thinned out as they drew closer to the center of town. Through the people, she could see the small clouds of steam from the trains on the other side of the center square. Moving past Ky, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. The day's travel had taken a toll on her and another long period of time riding a vehicle was not the most appealing. However, she didn't have the room to argue about the lack of airships going east.

She was about to move further when something on a board caught her eye. Ky was on the verge of passing her when she grabbed his arm by the elbow. It was not as urgent as it was in Mullhouse, however, her action, along with a small gasp of surprise, brought him to what she was looking at.

"Look!" she whispered quickly, while pointing at a single sheet of paper on the bounty list, meant for everyone to find and lead them to the local office where they'd get the actual contract. A single name among the dozen or so on the bounty list stood out like a sore thumb.

'Wanted: Ky Kiske.

Bounty: 100,000 World Dollars'.

End of Chapter 9

Whew. It's about time. And again, we have my prereaders and associates to thank for the inspiration to make this chapter as long as it was. Also, the first scene came out of nowhere, because I needed a scene to justify the end of this chapter. And what better way to show how dangerous the enemy is to let the grunts have the kind of intelligence to come up with something mean. Them PWAB boys are sneaky, they are.

My favorite part, and hopefully, one of the major plot points of the story, concerning Ky and Dizzy's lack of trust, has come at last! Woo! I wanted to do this part from chapter two, but it felt too early. And my prereaders were able to dissuade me from making that mistake earlier.

As for Ky's dream, the song comes from the opening theme of a recent anime series called 'eflen lied'. And since we all know Ky's a religious nut, it worked all the better and provides foreshadowing. We all love our Gregorian chants, don't we?

Here's the translation for the song;

'The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment

blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been tried, he shall receive the crown of life

Our lord, the Divine Fire, have mercy...

O how sacred, how fair, how kind, how delightmful, o lily of chastity.'

It sounds prettier when you actually hear the song, and that's the only part of Elfen Lied I recommend, oddly enough.

Now, the scene in Pakistan was originally meant to be a segway to foreshadowing events in future chapters, but it's grown, like much of this story. And for that I am glad, since it gives me more ideas to work with. And more ideas equates to a bigger story... not necessarily better, but bigger. Right? Right.

Finally; the backdrop for Turkey was came up with from inspiration of other Harsh Reality fics which go into detail as to what happened during the Crusades. Those are good stories, you should go read them and stop wasting time with this chapter! (By that, if you've read this far, then leave a good and long review before going on, 'k?)

All things Guilty Gear belongs to that strange man, Daisuke Ishiwatari and Sammy. Without that strange man, we wouldn't have GG, so, we should be grateful.


	10. The One You Call

Ky's shock completely took his voice as he reread his name on the bounty list several times. A hundred thousand World Dollars? By and large, those with a bounty on them were criminals, and to put that amount on one person said that he had done something so utterly reprehensible, they may as well vanish off the face of the earth.

The bounty system, with regard to criminals, worked on two principles: the severity of the crime committed and the resources of those who placed the bounty in the first place. When the bounty on Dizzy was placed, the sheer amount was so high that bounty hunters of all calibers went all-out trying to find her. By drawing on the greed of hunters and using the tax dollars of the U.N., the thought of having enough money to go into retirement became too great to ignore.

Though small compared to the bounty on Dizzy, one hundred thousand was still a hefty sum. There was little doubt that there were going to be people that wouldn't mind turning him in for that much money. On instinct, he lowered the front of his cap to let only a few strands of his blond hair stick out from his collar. He knew what it was like to be targeted by Gears, but being targeted by other people for money was something of which he had never thought of as he felt his breath coming faster than necessary.

Noticing his discomfort, Dizzy looked around the area to see an alleyway with no one nearby. Taking his arm, she guided him out of sight and, to her surprise, he did not resist at all. She placed him against the wall of a brick building and whispered, "Will you be alright?"

Her voice broke him out of his surprise as he looked to her and nodded hesitantly. She looked out to the square, silently asking Undine and Necro to stay alert for anything malignant in case they were spotted. She was more than aware of the problems one had when there was a bounty on one's head.

When she had left with Johnny to return to the Mayship, they had to avoid many populated areas, which also included airship and seaports. However, Johnny was able to smooth talk his way out of several potentially volatile situations. Looking back to him for a moment, she felt it rather unusual, now she was doing the same for someone else. Not unusual -- it felt nice. She was helping someone that needed it.

"Mister --" she was about to say his last name, but knew that his name would draw unwanted attention as she continued. "When Johnny and I left Europe, he was able to convince the people at the station to ignore how I looked like. I think I can convince the people here to let us go through."

Ky looked up to her in surprise. "How? There's a lot of people that know my face."

She looked around apprehensively, knowing that the less she said about it, the better, saying, "I think... I can use the same kind of ability that Testament has to keep himself invisible when he's walking through human towns."

Further surprised, Ky stood up and asked how could she do such a thing.

She looked to the side in reminiscence, saying, "Testament told me one time, his control over magic enables him to influence people just enough so that they would think he was a common sight."

Ky's eyebrow rose in surprise, and he said, "You can do that?"

She shook her head, saying, "I don't know. I've never tried it, because when I was with the Pirates, we always were able to make convincing disguises and personae in order to keep a low profile whenever we made landfall."

He furrowed his brow in thought, acknowledging that it would work for her. However, the idea that she had used it in times past to go around town left him torn as to whether it was good or not. In resignation, he knew that there was no alternative for them if they wanted to get out of Turkey.

Even if the country was not part of the U.N., the Bounty system was still going strong and was quite the staple for many people after the Crusades ended. Though things had long since settled, there were still hunters that wouldn't let go of the lifestyle.

Pulling his cap even lower, he stood up and said, "Well, we're not going to get there any faster standing here. Let's go."

She nodded and followed him back into the moving streams of people, oblivious to the shadow watching them leave.

On the rooftops of the buildings, a singular figure watched Dizzy and Ky march back into the crowd with a hungry smile. Whipping a few strands of her short, black hair out of her face, I-No donned a grin only grew with the passing of time. Her grip on her guitar tightened in a fit in anticipation.

"Hide all you want, little Gear, I'll find you," I-No cackled beneath her breath. It was nearly a year since they met last, and they had not parted on terms she would have liked. Even if she were a servant of That Man, she would not be denied her amusement. After all, it wasn't every day she had a chance to play with a Human/Gear hybrid.

* * *

Marie Crepe was having a rotten day. Though the shipment of ingredients had come on time and in good condition, the punks had the gall to assume she had to kiss their stinky rears as a tip for their punctuality. She promptly declined and informed them of her intention to go through other channels for her materials.

Next, one of her employees was drinking on the job when he shouldn't have been. She didn't give a damn if his ancestry included having coinsures of the finest wines in Asia. No drinking on the job meant exactly that! With her heel on said worker's back, she frowned at the barely-conscious Zhang, now roughed up because of his lack of control whenever he was drunk by the other problem she now faced. She turned to the bunch of rowdies that had claimed she was making lousy food, which lead to her final and greatest source of chagrin.

With a frown and a flip of her undone dark brown hair, she stared down the eight Turks that had practically cleared out the restaurant. The men belonged to the gang, the Bloody Smile, a bunch of no name roughnecks that thought themselves hot stuff when they were just kids when the Crusades ended.

"So, bitch. You going to give us a refund or what?" the apparent leader grumbled with a smirk, believing he and his men to have the advantage. "Or, better yet, how's about we have a little fun and we'll call it even?"

Her prompt reply was an open-handed strike to his solar plexus, loaded with enough ki to send him flying through the window of the front of her establishment. He wasn't hurt, but he'd have a hard time keeping any food down for a few days, which suited her just fine... because she wouldn't allow anyone to bad mouth her cooking!

On instinct, the remaining seven thugs charged, hoping to take advantage of their numbers and size to overpower her. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to make use of such a small space, she leaped through the window, knowing that all of them would follow her.

"Stupid boys," Marie muttered in Chinese. When one of the thugs attempted to tackle her from behind, he suddenly found himself falling into the ground face-first. Though Marie was never one to advocate such extreme violence, she had no qualms about wishing people a great 'fall'.

When another thought to attack her head on, she leaped into the air, whirled as though she was on her feet, and brought her heel into an axe kick right into the man's trapezius. As expected, the strike brought the man to the ground and into unconsciousness. Just for the heck of it, she gave him an additional stomp on the liver.

From both sides, two men charged, thinking she would be unable to take both of them at the same time. Again, she surprised them with a simultaneous block of both their attacks and ki-assisted counter attacks to send them flying into the walls of nearby buildings.

She looked to the remaining three, charged, and struck faster than the pain could register. She knocked the first down with a split kick to his ankles and a punch to the groin. Then, the second fell with a dash behind him and a sphere of much stronger ki. Finally, she executed a palm thrust to hit the third's stomach, then his chin, sending him into the air for a meter or two.

When the tension finally dispersed, she sauntered over to the leader, sifted through his pockets, and took the amount he and his cronies owed her for the meal and the mess they caused. Leaving what little there was left with his wallet, she gave them a smile and chirped, happily, "Come again!"

She readjusted what one would call a kung fu suit's sleeves, checking for any stains she may have gotten on the fight, and walked back to her restaurant. In an instant, her cheerful demeanor vanished as she barked in her native language of Chinese, "Zhang! If you fix the window, consider yourself unfired! I'll be back in a bit, and it better be fixed or in the process of being fixed!"

Feeling a need for something Turkish, she hopped over the unconscious bodies of the gang members and gave a smirk at anyone foolish enough to actually watch her fight. From across the street, she noticed a pair of young girls, no older than eight years old, looking at her with a combination of fear and respect from their window. All it served to do was make Marie's ego -- and her smile -- all the larger.

It was decided. The day wasn't so bad after all.

There was very little that could make her day better, though she could name a few things, but knew enough not to hope for things that were not possible. Besides, her knight in shining armor was practically half a world away.

She was not looking at anyone in particular, her sense of detection felt something powerful. It was practically an inferno and, despite the amount of control that seemed to follow it, if someone like her could sense it, other ki-sensitive people like herself could as well.

Looking through the crowd, she noticed the source of the magic was a girl traveling with a man who seemed rather familiar. She blinked once, not sure if it was whom she thought it was. Weaving through the crowd, she trailed them. They seemed to be moving towards the train station.

When she noticed them tensing for a moment and, then, increasing their pace, she mimicked their speed and when the crowd grew thinner to those only heading towards the station, she outpaced them. When she was no further than two meters away, a larger person accidentally walked into her, causing her to lose her balance. Before she could recover or berate the man, the two people she was following had ducked behind a corner.

Ignoring the walking landmass, she followed the two into the alleyway, knowing that all that awaited them was a dead end. However, all she found were shadows and abandoned garbage cans. She was about to turn back when her senses felt the surge of magical energy drawing closer to her.

"What do you want?" a voice with a distinct French accent said from behind her.

Her eyes widened when she knew just whose voice that was. She whirled around, saw the wary gaze of the man, and smiled, much to his confusion. His accomplice, standing nearby, also was as confused as he was. Marie, out of a force of habit, leaped forward and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Ky!" she squealed happily.

Ky's accomplice blinked in surprise and, then, looked to him, with questions in her eyes.

Pushing Marie away, Ky said to her, "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've ever met."

Not at all deterred, Marie countered, "Yes, we have!" She pulled her hair upward and, with both hands, held her hair until it turned into a familiar and unusual style where a circle hung on her back. "Now, imagine my hair's a few shades lighter, and my clothes are much nicer," she added with a pose and a wink.

Ky gaped. "Mademoiselle Jam?"

Jam froze momentarily and put her palm over Ky's mouth, shushing him quiet. "No one's supposed to know!" she whispered urgently. "For the past half year, I've been going around as Marie Crepe. Keeps me inconspicuous."

The girl that traveled with Ky put her hand to her chin, muttering her name beneath her breath, almost as if she were trying to remember where she heard the name.

Ky sighed as he took her hand off his face. He was not surprised when, by all rights, he should have been. The name held a lack of sublety that seemed to fit the Chinese chef. He said, "I understand. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to try and get out of Turkey before some bounty hunters try to get us."

Jam frowned and laughed, "Oh, Ky. Everyone thinks it's just a joke. I saw the list, and everyone just shrugged it off. Why would anyone want to hunt you?"

Ky looked to the girl traveling with him, who, Jam noted, was the source of the gargantuan levels of magic she had felt earlier.

Not sure he wanted to divulge what he had been doing, he said, "It's a long story, and, unfortunately, we don't have the time to explain."

"Oh!" the girl said in recollection, "You're the bounty hunter that I met when Johnny showed up."

Jam, not exactly sure what the girl was talking about, asked, "And you are?"

The girl looked to Ky, visually asking for his approval, which left Jam wondering what they were discussing.

It was true that she had run into several 'Johnnys' in the past, and those were encounters she would have rather forgotten. She left that query for another time when the girl, gaining approval from Ky, which left more questions for Jam to think about, took off her hat and, with a shake of her head, her hair turned from a dusty blonde to a definitive azure blue.

Holding back a gasp, Jam realized with whom she was dealing.

She looked to Ky and said, in all seriousness, "We need to talk." She pointed a thumb back to the entrance of the alley, adding, "My place. Now."

* * *

Jam's -- or Marie's -- place was like many others in the Chinese area of town, making use of every single inch of space. On top of her modest restaurant, she also had some rooms for the occasional travelers, people she knew. At the back of the kitchen, there was a flight of stairs that led to the deceptively roomy second floor, which held a main room, a washroom, and two bedrooms, the first of which belonged to its owner, and the other to what few visitors she would have, which doubled as a storage room.

Slumping down on the plush couch she had acquired through intense haggling, Jam turned to her two guests and said, "Okay, now, what exactly happened?"

Ky didn't want to reiterate the whole story, not to mention the unpleasant memory of Haan demanding an answer the day before. He was about to answer when Dizzy spoke up.

"Do you remember," she said, "how you, Johnny, and I talked about what to do to get rid of the bounty?"

Jam nodded, saying, "Yes. I claimed it and, then, you left that place about a year ago with the Pirates."

"About a month and a half ago," Dizzy elaborated, "the Pirates were attacked. I still don't know if they survived or not, but I doubt it. And, since then, I've been under Ky's protection."

As Dizzy continued to tell Jam of what they'd gone through, Ky wondered what, exactly, she felt when she said that. A feeling of guilt silently surged in his gut at the way he had treated her. Though they had reconciled much of what he had done since she was placed in his care, he still hated himself for what he nearly did.

It was true. She was just like a child, wanting to trust, wanting to believe, so different than so many people he had met in the past. Some were hardened beyond cracking, and others were broken. He amended that he was part of the former when he considered what he had done in the past.

Following the conversation, he noticed that Dizzy said nothing concerning the events that had transpired that morning, nor did she mentioned anything about how she was treated while under his care. She had every right to complain. To suppress the right of one's discontent was what he fought against. Maybe she was voluntarily keeping it secret?

"So, now, we're trying to get back into the U.N. without calling attention to ourselves," Dizzy concluded.

Jam stared at them blankly, trying to completely digest all that she had just been told. In his experience, Ky had known Jam to be clever when it came to matters of money, business, and such. However, whenever politics came up, she had told him, quite bluntly, it was a painfully dull. It also brought back the ordeal they had faced while searching for the truth in Purgatory.

In retrospect, with his problems concerning the Robo-Kys, he was inclined to agree with her point of view. He was meant for the battlefield, not the administrator's desk. His train of thought was broken as Jam nodded and stood up.

With hands balled into fists and placed on her hips, she said, "Okay, then. If you want to get back to the U.N., you're going to have to take a less conspicuous route."

She moved over to one of the walls, heavily decorated with various posters, maps, and lists of recipes of various origins. Finding a map of Europe, she traced her fingers around several red lines she had drawn in with a pencil, looking at the other entry points to the edges of the E.U.

Ky and Dizzy exchanged looks until Jam exclaimed, "Aha! Here we go! The northern posts are a lot more open than the southern. Not a lot of other people there, other than Swedes, Finns, and Russians."

"How do you know all this?" Ky asked.

Jam turned and said, with a smile, "How do you think I got here? I was brought to Geneva because they wanted me to prove that I was the one that fulfilled the bounty. I couldn't prove it, so I had to run. I had a few contacts that got me a ride out of there, so I moved north to lose the UN and moved south until I came here."

"And you've been in hiding ever since?" Dizzy asked empathetically.

Jam blinked once and shrugged, saying, "Sorta. Though I miss being the center of attention, I think I can get used to working my way back to the top. Besides, I haven't had a chance to show those idiots from Hanagata and Hyuma that I can make even better food than both of them!" She emphasized her position with a clenched fist and a heavy stomp on the floor.

Dizzy and Ky were slightly surprised as Jam pulled back into her usually cheery disposition, saying, "But enough about me. You two make yourselves at home, and I'll call around, see if any friends of mine are heading north."

She hopped out of the room before either had a chance to protest.

* * *

An hour later, it was decided by Jam that they were going to stay for the next two days. The freighter pilot that had ushered Jam out of U.N. territory was going that same route, and, after some sweet-talking on Jam's part, she was able to convince him to let two passengers along.

With the lights low and the noise from the outside dying down, Dizzy looked up from her makeshift bed, sitting across the way from Jam's sparsely-covered room, which surprised the Commander Gear, for there seemed to be a perpetual mess of all things that spoke of what Jam was everywhere else in the apartment. Even Ky's bedroom had a few creature comforts that spoke about what he liked.

However, the room she was to stay in was quite mundane. There were two beds across from each other and there was the desk with nothing on it. Though it had seen lots of use, its maintenance clearly hid most of the marks that showed its consistent application in the past.

Dizzy, in a fresh change of clothes, sat upward and leaned against the wall. She stared out of the window, noting the lack of activity of the sleeping town, save for the occasional scuffle between alley animals.

She wasn't sure why, but sleep was eluding her. The specter had been strangely silent ever since Rhodes, and her guardians were resting, along with the city outside. She looked to the satchel, by her pillow, containing the documents she felt she had to defend with her life. Upon it was the fleur-de-lis, now cleaned and beautiful, her personal placebo against that which she feared.

She took the pendant and let it dangle over one of her hands, looking at the golden crown, sparking in the moonlight. She never had any real possessions of her own, aside from the books she always read, but those were always someone else's. The pendant belonged to her. She placed the trinket into her open hand and carefully held it close to her heart. With any hope, she would be able to find the courage to live in a hostile world without fear.

She looked up to the slowly-approaching footsteps and subsequent opening of the door. In similar modest bedclothes, Jam poked her head in, asking, "Are you asleep?"

Dizzy shook her hand and moved her hands to her lap, shaking her head.

"Anything wrong?" Jam said, closing the door as quietly as she could. She padded to her bed and slowly glided on, like a toddler sneaking back from the kitchen with a snack in hand.

Dizzy looked to her hands, considering the item within, hoping to draw out the courage from it, she said, "Have you ever had dreams -- or seen things -- that you wish you hadn't?"

Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, Jam cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Struggling for the right words, Dizzy offered, "When I spoke with my friends about their dreams, they were always odd and unusual. Whenever I have dreams, they're too clear, and they scare me."

Jam wasn't sure what to make of Dizzy's statement. Though she did have an answer, it probably wasn't the one she needed. "Well," she said, pausing, "when I saw things that frightened me in dreams, it always had to do with things that scared me when I was awake."

Dizzy took a quick look to her host and figured, by her age, that she knew the affects of living during the Crusades. She couldn't have been older than twenty-two years old, give or take a year.

"Like the Gears?" Dizzy proposed.

Jam's eyes locked with hers and the bravado, the silliness, and the childishness of the chef that everyone knew, vanished. "When the Gears attacked the camps at Changchun, I was with the refugees that were relocated to Vancouver. We were attacked by Gears more than once on the way and until then, I had never seen a Gear up close. If it weren't for the Shaolin nun that became my mother, I wouldn't have survived."

As Dizzy imagined what it was that Jam had experienced, a minor headache appeared. It wasn't painful, but she could feel like she was being pulled into a something she couldn't explain.

_Further and further her mind fell until she saw flame all around her. Dizzy saw many people running in fear from large shadows, covered in spikes and blood, relentlessly perusing the fleeing humans._

"_Mama! Mama!" a young girl's voice cried from behind her. She turned to see a little Chinese child, hunched over the inert body of a woman with a gaping hole in her chest, darkening the shirt with blood. It was Jam! She was about to approach her when a rumble turned her around to see a Gear, a Brute, nicknamed for its sheer size and strength._

_It appeared more like a gorilla than human, due to its excessively long arms and disproportioned body. The sheer bulk of the arms were laden with muscles strong enough to stop a speeding train. They had easily killed their fair share of humans during the war. The Brute raised its boulder-sized fist, prepared to crush the girl flat. Dizzy cried for the Gear to stop, but it was no use._

_A blur of color dashed passed through, grabbed Jam, and resumed its flight back to the fleeing train at the edge of town as the Brute created a crater from its missed attack. From what Dizzy could see, the blur appeared to be a woman with a covering on her face. She was dressed in simple brown and gray robes and moved as easily through the following Gears like wind through the trees. When the woman and Jam left out of sight, she felt herself ascending upwards._

Dizzy looked to a confused Jam as the latter finished speaking.

"You alright? You looked kind of dazed."

Embarrassed, Dizzy nodded and tried to change the subject, noting that her pendant had fallen into her lap. She had no idea what had just happened and felt Necro and Undine would have better insight to the matter. "I was wondering, how did you find Ky and I while we were moving through the town?"

With a proud smile, Jam replied, "It was you. I'm a ki user and as such, I can sense magic and similar elements with little to no effort. You were practically a geyser of magic. It was next to impossible not to find you."

Depressed, Dizzy apologized, "I'm sorry. I try to keep control of my power, but it always has a habit of going farther than I want."

Jam folded her arms and said, "Have you ever tried to train yourself to control it?"

The Commander Gear shook her head and answered, "There was no one there really to teach me."

The chef sighed and held her hand to her head as though she was asked a foolishly rhetorical question. "It's not as hard as you think," she chided gently. She slid off her bed and stood in the clear center of the room. She started in the center with her feet together, completely inert. However, when Jam moved her feet to shoulder width, she began a movement involving turns and steps which seemed as natural as breathing. In addition, Dizzy could not only feel, she could see the ki starting to gather around Jam's body.

As the chef continued, the energy started to flow into beautiful patterns, a testament to her talent. To Dizzy's surprise, she could even barely feel the large amount of ki, despite being able to see it so easily.

When the form ended, Jam smiled proudly and asked, "Pretty good, huh?"

Dizzy nodded eagerly as she questioned Jam further, "How can you do that?"

Smugly, Jam held out her hand and within seconds, a perfectly spherical ball of ki appeared. "Practice. Lots of it." She brought her other hand near the sphere and exchanged the ball into her other hand as though it were made of solid matter.

"You form a sphere in your mind, and then pour your ki into that sphere. Keeping it within the sphere you made and pouring it in even more." She brought both of her hands together again and Dizzy could feel the strength of the ball practically double. "If you can keep pouring your power into the sphere, while keeping the sphere as its original shape, you can make it stronger. Again, it takes practice." Letting her hands go, Jam casually let the ball of ki vanish into the air. "Now you try."

The Commander Gear had watched the proceedings with all her mental facilities, noting muscle movements, energy flow, and breathing from Jam. Bringing her hands close together, she closed her eyes and mentally recited Jam's instructions, word for word.

She saw the sphere. She had almost made a circle, but knew a sphere had more than one dimension. There was some difficulty, but she soon was able to form the sphere in her mind and attempted to ebb some of her power into it.

Watching intently, Jam saw the beginnings of sparks of light. What few slips of magic she could see was red. Sadly, it never progressed further than that as the mental and physical exertions overtook Dizzy and the sphere vanished. She leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

With a proud smile, Jam said, "Not bad. It takes a lot of people years to be able to do what you just did. Once you figure that out, keeping your power in check will be a cinch."

"Thank you, Miss Jam." Dizzy said.

Jam shook her head and corrected her, "Remember, it's Marie now. And don't mention it." As she returned to her bed, intent on going to sleep, Dizzy's voice once again stopped her.

"Miss Ja... erm, Marie, can I ask why you're helping us?"

Jam crawled into bed and muttered tiredly, "It's nothing you have to worry about." The way she said it put the matter to rest, in spite of the fact she still had other questions.

What she wanted to ask more than anything concerned her overly friendly greeting to Ky when she discovered he was here. There were so few things about Ky Dizzy was aware of. Seeing Jam's reaction gave her some hope to the seemingly shadowed past of her guardian. However, it appeared she had hit another dead end and it would be a while before she would learn anything.

Knowing nothing more could be done, she lie in her bed and let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Undine... you must not tell her."

Undine was still defiant. "You cannot force me to withhold the truth from her. I know she can do something about all this. She is stronger than you think her to be."

Necro was resolute. "Regardless of your opinion, Undine, I fulfill my purpose. As should you. When the time comes for the truth to be known, we will tell her and there will be no more secrets between us all."

Undine's tone grew suddenly bitter. "By then, it may be too late."

"If you place so much faith in her, then you should not worry. She has overcome the influence of her heritage so far."

"Yes, but that doesn't speak for when the last stage occurs."

"The last stage?"

"Yes. You, in your excessive reactionary impulses, never noticed once that the process has begun."

"You mean her growth?"

"No. This is something completely different. Something you were never privy to."

"And you were?"

"Yes. And as galling as it sounds, it looks like you and I can keep secrets from each other."

"You are correct... it is very galling."

"And if you attempt to take control as you have in the past, I won't hesitate to erase your functions."

"And you will get us killed in the process."

"...I'm willing to take that chance."

"And you will."

End of chapter 10

Whew, another chapter done. And once again; props go out to my pre-readers for making sure I don't make a total fool out of myself.

I wasn't completely sure about using Ky as a bounty to keep the plot moving. However, what I needed was a reason to keep Ky from moving into Greece and essentially bring them up north for an upcoming plot point. So, there you have it.

Now, Marie Crepe is the name that Samuraiter and I came up with since Jam was basically a labeled deviant for not bringing Dizzy forward. Besides, I like crepes more than jam anyway. Oh, and just a note; Jam was performing the short form in Tai Chi Chuan, of said art, I am quite fond of.

And speaking of Samuraiter, Jam's youth is a reference to his story, Corpus Et Mortalis. Since it's no longer on I suggest looking for it on his page. It's a long read, but a good one.

Now, we have Necro and Undine arguing as usual, but I always wanted to give those two more of their own voices. Besides, it wasn't Dizzy's ridiculous outfit that drew me to her – it was Undine, but that's a matter for another time.

Finally, all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy, Arc System, and Daisuke Ishiwatari.


	11. So Much Hate for the Ones We Love

The sun shone through the morning mist of the Turkish skies and upon the numerous crowds going about their business. From above, a pair of reddish-bronze eyes watched each and every person going their way, imagining what each person was doing as they passed in and out of her sight.

In spite of her first experiences on the receiving end of people's ire, Dizzy still liked people. Had she not been on the run with her guardian, Ky Kiske, she would have liked to go out and speak with some of the people there. Her time with the Jellyfish Pirates had given her some much-needed people-skills in speaking with others.

She looked from the window to the floor upon hearing the rumble of the magic generators in the kitchen, meant for cooking the food for Miss Jam's -- or Marie's -- many customers. The chef, who had taken she and Ky in for the night, was still quite busy. Her enthusiasm for her job was only compared to her affection for Ky.

For the day, all Dizzy and Ky could do was simply lay low and catch up on sleep, because they were going to need it. The airstrip they were to take was on the other side of the city, and with public transportation shut down during the hours they needed to travel, the lighter they tread, the better.

Growing weary of the bare bedroom she had used, she hopped onto the floor, stepped into the hallway and into the main room, where she found Ky. He was sitting at the window, staring at the passing crowds with a look of complete disinterest on his face. Upon closer inspection, he wasn't even looking at the crowds.

He still wore the clothes he had on the day before. Though it was a small thing, Dizzy had picked up the habit of always washing her clothes after wearing them once. Now, perhaps, would not be the best of time for her to mention such a thing. Though things had been mended between them, the scar from yesterday still needed a bit of time to heal. Dizzy had read in one of the many books about human interaction that trust had to be earned in small steps.

She kept her distance and took a seat by another desk Jam had, which was completely covered in books in complete and utter disarray. It was the wide variety of books that Jam had which caught her attention, and she hoped the chef wouldn't mind if she took a quick read of a few of them. Pulling the chair away from the desk, she slowly lowered herself onto the cushion tied to the back. The sound of the old wooden chair, creaking slightly under her light weight, brought Ky out of his thoughts.

Though slightly surprised, he said, cordially, "Good morning."

She nodded back and asked, "Did you sleep well?"

He turned from the window, clasped his hands together, and nodded. As he replied, a rare and slightly wry smile accompanied his answer, "Yes. And there was no nightmare this time."

Dizzy felt the atmosphere grow slightly heavier as she asked, "If you don't mind telling me, what happened yesterday?"

He looked from the floor to her. Though he was starting to see the differences between his protectorate and the Gears he had fought against in theCrusades, he was slightly uneasy about telling her what he saw. Still, she had a right to know.

"First off, you know who Justice was, right?"

His charge nodded, saying, "Only from rumors, but I heard it was because of him that the war continued as long as it did."

"Did you ever hear of a description of what he looked like?"

The half-Gear shook her head and answered, "No. Not many people knew what he looked like... and, even if I was nearby, I wasn't born by the time the war ended."

He nodded, recalling the almost unbelievable fact that she was only four years old. In an odd juxtaposition, it made him remember the tournament where he not only encountered Sol and Testament, but, briefly, met the nightmare that was Justice.

He suddenly stopped at what could have been a very frightening idea. Both Justice and Dizzy had the power to control Gears. That idea alone gave Ky an uneasy feeling as to Dizzy's true parentage. However, when he realized that two years prior to her birth, Justice died at Sol's hands. He looked back to her questioning face, still expecting an answer to her question. He was about to answer her question when she interrupted him.

"I was in that dream, wasn't I?" Her tone was quiet and morose. The noise below and outside seemed trivial to the sadness her question carried.

Just as quietly, he replied, "Yes."

Almost expecting the answer, Dizzy looked to the floor and away from him. Again, the specter's words were hitting a wound she had hoped would have started to heal.

Knowing things would only go badly had he done nothing, he continued, "You were in it, yes, but it was just a dream. Like you told me yesterday, you're not

Justice. I still need to get over the fact that the Crusades are over."

His words seemed to fulfill their intent, as Dizzy's mood lightened visibly.

Silently, she hoped that he would eventually consider her as a friend. As distant as Ky seemed to always be, their interaction seemed to be breaking down the wall between them.

"I understand. Though my dad didn't tell me much about his role in the war, he told me how tough it was trying to adjust to normal life."

Ky, feeling the air had warmed somewhat, leaned against his chair and nodded.

"It's not easy, considering that humanity was in a war for an entire century, it's a miracle that some were even capable of moving on. A few people I worked with had to deal with trauma for years before they could attempt to live a normal life, and a few of them couldn't."

It somehow didn't surprise Dizzy to hear that. "Can a people ever truly recover from a war?" she asked.

Not knowing peace for the first part of his life, he shrugged, saying, "I'm not sure. Common sense says that time heals wounds, but I don't know. Maybe so. Perhaps we've gotten so sick of fighting, perhaps, a few generations from now, we'll have finally moved on from the things we feared during the Crusades."

"Like magic?" she asked again.

He nodded and answered, "The Holy Order, with a few exceptions, completely avoided the use of magic as a weapon. It made sense when I was part of it. The Order was founded on some subsets of Christianity, and the faith forbid the use of magic, due to its ancient relation to witchcraft. However, now that I know more of what composes magic, it almost seemed silly to act the way we did."

With an inherent knowledge of what magic was, Dizzy spoke up. "Maybe it was fear that made people think that way. Magic is a part of life... like it's a part of me."

Looking to her, he asked, "Speaking of which, does your blood carry the magic, or is it a separate thing?"

Holding her hand to her chin, Dizzy thought of his question for a minute before replying, "I think it's in my blood. My mother was a part of the Healer's Caste and I remember her telling me about how she never saw any real magic while she took care of me."

Ky's brow furrowed at the name of the group Dizzy's mother worked in. The Healer's Caste was a group of people that insisted that magic could be used to heal wounds. However, much of their efforts to assist in the war were discouraged heavily by both the Order and the U.N. Security Council. In spite of the intense pressure to desist the use of magic, they continued and as a result, many people survived the war.

Like many wartime groups, they disbanded and its members were eventually never heard of again, having ultimately fulfilling their purpose. The techniques they also developed were also abandoned, for no UN-sanctioned clinic or hospital were permitted to use them.

"Is there a problem?" Dizzy asked, noticing his moment of reflection.

Broken out of his train of thought, Ky looked up and shook his head, saying, "No. It's just been a while since I've heard anything about the Healer's Caste. The higher-ups and the heads of the UN made sure they didn't get close to many of the troops."

Dizzy nodded, understanding the situation he must have faced during the war. So much, in fact, she realized just how heavy the air in the room was becoming. She felt that a change of subject would be for the best.

Dizzy said, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you and Miss Jam know each other so well?"

Not expecting that question to come out, he blinked and held a look of momentary surprise as he formulated an answer.

Leaning back, he answered, "Well, I believe that I met her around the same time you did, during that whole fiasco with the bounty. In fact, I was the one that authorized her claim to the bounty. She had informed me that you had left with

Johnny. I had met him in past and despite our... opposing points of view, I knew you'd be safe with him."

Though her question was answered, Dizzy felt there was still something missing.

"Yes... that would make sense. But it seems she knows you more than if you two had simply met over my bounty."

When Ky stared at her for a very visible moment, she realized that perhaps she had gone too far. There was a sense of discomfort on his face. He then broke eye contact with her turned back to the window and said calmly, "It's nothing you have to worry about."

Her mood became downtrodden when she felt what little trust she had gained was immediately shut out. All she had asked was a single question and already, she felt like a stranger to him once more.

* * *

The rest of the day came and went as Jam's restaurant soon closed along with the rest of the businesses on their street. Dizzy had watched all the other lights start to dim and turn off as the lamps' light broke through the darkness of the late night. 

Dizzy replaced the book she had taken from Jam's desk earlier that day and walked back to where it was and walked back to the room she had stayed in the previous night. She was surprised at how comfortable it was, despite being put together so immediately. She pulled the sheets up to the pillow and smoothed the lower portions when she began to hear some talking through the wooden floor.

Curious, she walked down the hallway and stopped at the top of the stairs. Below, she overheard both Ky and Jam talk in whispers.

"In a way... I'm not surprised to find you taking care of her," Jam said.

"I don't understand."

"Ky, you're the hero, remember? People trust you because of that."

"Perhaps, but I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that she's a Gear. I didn't have a lot of chances to think otherwise during the Crusades."

There was a small pause before Jam continued. "So... she must be pretty dependant on you for things, right?"

"Some. She's lived with the Pirates long enough to learn how to take care of herself for some things. But all she knows is how to live outside the law, that's what kind of people the Pirates were."

"So, does that make her a bad person because she lived with them?"

"No, but I feared the worst if the Pirates were ever caught and her existence was made known to the rest of the world."

"We all have our nasty little secrets, don't we?" There was a tinge of bitterness in Jam's question as she heard Ky's footsteps, probably turning towards her.

"I know what you're thinking, Jam, and you're overreacting."

"Can you blame me? I fought her, I've seen how she looks and it wouldn't surprise me if she stayed that way while the rest of us age. How can I not get a bit jealous when you're with someone like that?"

"Again, you're overreacting. She's my protectorate. I was trusted to take care of her, not take advantage. Do you really think I would have done something like that? I mean, even when we... you know that I couldn't go that far."

"...you're right, but whether or not we're together, I still worry about you. I can tell that you still aren't eating enough."

"It's not something you should worry about. I have a job to do. That includes trying to overcome my own faults while respecting the privacy of others that want to deal with them on their own."

"Ky, it's one thing to respect another's problems, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and help at least."

"Jam, I told you that you were going to get everything when I asked you if you were serious about us. That included my faults."

"I know, but the feeling hasn't changed. Even with your faults, you're still the knight I admired when I heard that you beat Justice."

The weight in Ky's voice became more apparent. "It wasn't me that killed Justice. It was Sol. All I did was seal him. Every time I hear someone tell me that I hate it more and more."

"So, that's why you keep obsessing over Sol Badguy? Because 'HE' killed Justice? Ky, it doesn't matter."

"No, it's not just Justice. Every time I see him, he talks down to me like I'm not worth his time."

"And that's why you want to beat him, why you want him to take you seriously?"

"I don't expect you to understand, Jam."

"It doesn't matter if I do or not, but killing yourself over the esteem of a two-bit bounty hunter is just... I don't know, trivial. It's like the ram that keeps hitting the boulder, thinking he'll move it out of his way."

"That's an odd way of putting it."

"My teacher had a nasty habit of it while I was under her care," Jam replied rather flatly.

"We're getting off-track, Jam. The fact is, I know that it doesn't mean much to anyone, but it means practically everything to me. Just once, if Sol were to take me seriously and acknowledge me, I could let this go."

"What if that never happens and you end up spending your whole life failing at trying to beat him?" Jam countered, slightly heated.

"That won't happen."

"Oh, will it? I've seen him fight and I don't see him slowing down any time soon. I may not know everything about him, but what I can tell is that he lives in a completely different world than you or I do."

"Jam."

"Please, Ky, just let it go."

"...Jam, did I ever ask you to stop what you're doing for my sake?"

"No."

"Then why are you doing that to me?"

There was no answer to be heard.

"Jam... you and I are just too different. You have your restaruant. You've moved on. I can't. I have a job to do. Right now, there are forces moving beyond my control and, if I don't do something, people will suffer. That's along the path I have to follow that leads to Sol and the truth."

Dizzy could feel the heaviness in the air from above as the tension receded. She had heard that Ky and Jam had been an item while she worked at the police station in France, but she had no idea it went like this. It seemed so... regretful.

She had asked Johnny a few times in the past why some people, despite being so happy with someone, could also be so sad. All the pirate told her was that it was easy to fall in love, but the real challenge was staying in love. Sadly, many times, it failed, and people ended up unhappy because of one circumstance or another. Sometimes the reasons were small that stretched out for too long without being fixed, others were quite significant and avoidable, but the end result was always the same. Dizzy couldn't put a finger on it, but it almost sounded like Johnny was speaking from experience.

She heard Jam sniff once and conclude, "All right, Ky. You follow your path and I'll go mine, but that still won't change how I feel."

"I know... and I'm sorry."

Dizzy turned around and slowly padded back to her room. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of what she had just overheard. Granted, she shouldn't have, because it was a private matter between those two, but her inquisitive nature wouldn't let the opportunity to learn more about her guardian go.

Slowly moving onto her bed, she moved her tail into her hands, playing idly with the bow on the tip. She just couldn't forget what she had just heard. Her guardian had his own demons to contend with and there were places she just couldn't cross over into just yet. It appeared to her that they wanted to make it work, but it just couldn't.

She looked up, slightly startled upon seeing Jam walk into the room. The chef looked tired, not just from the day's work, but from also the exhausting conversation she and Ky had engaged in a short while ago.

Without turning to Dizzy, Jam said calmly, "You're not very good at eavesdropping, you know."

Dizzy's shoulders slumped ashamedly. "How did you know I was there?"

Jam smiled sadly to her, saying, "Remember how I found you and Ky yesterday? You're practically a geyser of magic. It's hard not to miss you."

Curling the sheet around her shoulders, Dizzy asked, "If I practiced, could I hide myself... in a way that I couldn't be found?"

Jam leaned against the wall and shrugged. "Sure. Just need practice and keep at it." Dizzy felt more uncomfortable with ever passing second as she felt there was something else nagging at them both.

"Jam, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to --" Dizzy started before Jam interrupted.

"No. You're under his protection and you have a right to know something at least. From what I've figured out from my time with him he's probably told you little, if anything, about himself, right?"

Meekly, she nodded, feeling slightly guilty for having it brought up in the first place.

Jam sighed openly and looked to the ceiling. "We met during the hunt for you. Though I wasn't able to stop him from looking, I was able to keep a few steps behind. It wasn't long until I found you. Then, a while after you left, we met again, the restaurant that I built with the money I won was burnt to the ground and he was searching for someone spreading a phony bounty list."

Dizzy added, "A boy had it. Commonwealth, right?"

Jam nodded with a frown. "Little cross-dressing runt by the name of Bridget. Cute as he was, he thought I was on the list. Anyway, the arsonist that burnt my place looked a lot like Ky and I... uh, accidentally attacked him once or twice, thinking he was one of those metal things that keep going 'bzzt' all the time."

It must have been one of the Robo-Kys, Dizzy thought, still listening to Jam.

"Eventually, they cornered me and I was basically good as trapped. Then, just like in those stupid storybooks, the heroic prince arrives and defeats the evildoers. It took a little bit of convincing on my part, but I was able to get him to at least have a meal with me. That one time... it was the only time I have ever seen him smile like he was really happy."

"You don't think he's happy?" Dizzy asked quietly.

Jam shook her head. "I think... he's spent so much time fighting that he doesn't even know what it's like to be happy. He's stuck in this mind-set that if he doesn't keep moving forward at a breakneck pace, he's going to die of atrophy. Even worse, he thinks that everything that goes wrong in the world is his fault one way or another. I just have this feeling that he had no one to really care for him when he was a kid."

Remembering the picture in Ky's den, Dizzy interjected, "But, he had his mother, didn't he?"

"Maybe, but he still acts as though he never had one. Neither did I, but I still had a teacher that I basically thought of as a parent. Just when I thought I had that idiot understood, she turned around and showed in small ways how much she cared for me. I don't believe Ky had anything like that. He's scared to open up, because he feels that somehow, someway, anyone that he cares for is going to die and it's going to be his fault."

Leaning on her side, Dizzy pulled her sheets up to her neck. As harsh as Jam's words seemed, it struck a chord that made too much sense. Even so, Dizzy didn't like it.

"You think that's the reason why he never opens up?"

Following suit, Jam adjusted her pillow and responded before closing her eyes, "Could be. Whatever the it is, he's got it locked up tight and isn't willing to let anyone see."

Not satisfied with what she had learned, Dizzy asked again, "Jam?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been trying to understand humans more, because part of me is human. But the more I learn, the less I like it. Everywhere I look, there are people that are sad, angry, and hurt. It makes the short time I lived with my parents seem too good to be true. Is this what humanity is?"

There was a long and uncertain pause as she awaited an answer. It seemed that even Jam had a hard time trying to find the answers that she so desperately wanted. The answer did come, but it was slow and staggered slightly as Jam pieced it together as she went along.

"If the fact that you've not killed anyone, despite your power, is any indication as to what kind of parents you've had, you already know the best. Now, you have to see the worst to understand both sides. That's what my teacher told me when I asked her why there was so much wrong in the world."

Even if Dizzy wanted to ask Jam more, the former felt the matter was already closed by the latter as she dozed off.

Was reality always that harsh? Dizzy thought to herself as she looked to the ceiling and tried to properly process all she had learned that day. Being close to people, like she was with the Jellyfish Pirates and her parents, had brought her joy. Seeing Jam and Ky attempt to care for each other, on the other hand, brought them sorrow.

It almost seemed, there was a risk whenever you placed your trust in someone. Very easily, those bonds could be shattered and one could be hurt for a long time. If not, then they could be stronger, like hers were with her parents... and the Pirates, and be a source of strength to endure.

She thought she had finally gotten over the deaths of May, Johnny, the others, but the tears wallowing in her eyes spoke otherwise. She sniffed once, reached into her shirt, and held her Fleur-de-lis with both hands. She wiped her eyes, and silently begged to anyone that could have heard her to give her strength.

She felt so alone.

End of chapter 11

Now that I think about it, this is as far as I've ever gotten on a story for quite a while. Cool, eh?

Now, this was one chapter that I had been thinking about for quite a while and thought of this as a 'sad love scene' chapter. And it all began with Jam's third ending on GGXX. As cute and humorous as it appeared to be, we in the harsh reality business, by that I mean me, saw it as an invitation for unhappiness. Which leads to angst, which also leads to great stories, despite my dislike of angst because it can get carried away so easily.

There's not a lot of new material going on around here since we're just trying to slow down the pace a bit. There'll be some more action in the future, after all, you didn't sign up for this in the first place without reading the perks, right?

Again, major kudos goes out to my buddies that have helped so much thus far. Were it not for them, this story would have been much more mediocre. And we can't have that, can we?

In closing, all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy, Arc Systems, and Daisuke

Ishiwatari, that nut.


	12. A Certain Sense of Liberty

Very few were out in this time to do their business, save for the shop keepers and owners to prepare for the day's business.

Through the mists, three people walked casually, doing their best to blend in with the other few people out. In the lead, Jam kept her vigil, for not only were there usually unscrupulous people about at this time, but those that wanted to pay her back for their well deserved beatings.

Behind her, Ky Kiske, holding the sheath of his weapon against his leg to keep it as silent as he could, followed. A few days prior, he had discovered that a rather large bounty had been put on his head. As a result, he kept his collar high, his cap low, and eyes open. It was through his fortuitous meeting with Jam that he was now on his way out of Turkey with his protectorate right behind him.

Dizzy, though not as tense as Ky was at the moment, remained alert, allowing her guardians to keep their sense alert for danger. The fog had obscured her vision for up to fifteen feet ahead of her, but her hearing remained unobstructed. As an added precaution, she allowed her guardians to stretch their perceptions to make sure anyone with malicious intent in the air, while keeping them hidden in her back.

"People are going to be heading towards work pretty soon, so, it'll be easier for us to stay hidden in the crowd when the sun over the mountains." Jam said quietly to her companions. "When we get past the square of the city, we should be safe enough to head to the airstrips without being followed, provided that no one's following us in the first place."

Ky and Dizzy nodded as they kept pace with Jam.

"There is someone following us!" Necro whispered to the back of Dizzy's mind. She gasped, resisting the urge to turn around and see who it was. Instead, she reached forward and tugged on Ky's sleeve and relayed her news to him.

"Are you sure?" he whispered back as they wandered into one of the busier streets. She nodded quickly as she looked ahead to the large fountain at the center of the city.

Tapping Jam's shoulder, Ky said, "We have a problem."

Understanding, Jam nodded once and said, "I thought so. Let's get to the fountain and stop there for a second. See if whoever it is will keep trying to close in on us."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ky asked.

Jam answered without turning around. "If he wants to apprehend you or something like that, he'll make a scene in front of all these people. I'm going to wager that he doesn't want to, so, if he stays still then we can come up with something else to get away."

The central square was the hub of activity for the town. Several streams of people weaved around the fountain to whatever business they had that day. Jam, Ky, and Dizzy, all sat on the fountain's edge, making sure not to look at where they came from so as not to disclose their knowledge of being followed.

"So, what do we do from here?" Dizzy asked quietly, tossing a breadcrumb she had taken from a sandwich she had packed to the ground.

Leaning against his hands placed on the edge of the fountain, Ky said, idly, "Well, if the person that's following us is with the Bureau, then we have to assume that he has a way of contacting his superiors."

Placing one foot on the fountain edge beside Ky, she added, "But we don't know that."

Leaning over to get a better view of Jam, Dizzy asked, "then why is he staying just at the edge of the street? He's still watching us. So far, he's the only one, but if we stay here too long there might be more."

Jam cocked an eyebrow at the Gear. "Don't they think you're dead?"

She shook her head. "Somehow, they must have found out that I was with the Jellyfish."

Jam crossed her arms and sighed. "Well, if this is the only guy they got, we can't just keep going. Otherwise, they'll figure out where you two are heading."

Ky's hand instinctively went to the handle of his hidden Thunder Seal as he requested quietly. "Couldn't we lure him away from here? When he's alone, we incapacitate him."

Jam shook her head once. "No. That would only reveal that you two are here. What we need is something that will keep him distracted, and that won't allow him to follow us."

Looking to the sky, Ky wondered aloud, "Would a fight in the middle of all these people do anything?"

Jam laughed humorlessly. "Yes, but since things never get bad until the afternoon when the gangs finally come out, we'd be in for a long wait. Even then, they're smart enough to stay away from the authorities."

The air around them grew thick with the tension as every alternative course of action was similarly proposed and dismissed. It seemed that anything they could come up with would only either gather unwanted attention, or endanger civilian life.

A familiar smell of bratwurst caught Jam's attention as she looked to see a stand opened up near the entrance they came in. With a train of thought that only Jam had, a small smile started to grow on her lips. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a wad of World Dollars, and discreetly put it in Ky's hand. "Take this, and go to the clothier two blocks north of here. Get some new clothes. Then, keep heading north until you two get to the airstrips. Go to Stretch Nine and ask for Ma Xi. Tell him Marie sent you. I'll catch up as soon as I can."

He accepted the money, but held back a gasp when he heard her orders. "What do you have in mind?" Ky asked worriedly. Dizzy looked on, and mimicked his apprehension.

The mischief in Jam's smile became unmistakable. "Just go for it when I got him distracted. Besides, I'm hungry."

Dizzy leaned closer and asked hurriedly, "How will you know it's him?"

Jam's confidence didn't waver as she replied casually, "You weren't the only one that could spot him, you know."

Before either Ky or Dizzy could argue, she had already sauntered over to the cart, and ordered something. Both IPF officer and Commander Gear looked on in apprehension as they took the occasional glance at their pursuer. He looked no different than anyone else on the street, save for the almost tangible malignancy that Dizzy's guardians could detect.

They turned their attention to Jam as she ordered what appeared to be a piece of meat, covered with a bun of some sort. Jam happily took the article, took a bite, and to their surprise, she gagged and spit out what she ate.

"Yuck!" Jam screeched, "this meat's bad! What do you think you're doing peddling this crap!"

"Excuse me!" the owner replied indignantly, "the meat I use is always fresh!"

"Oh really? I knew that these kinds of meat were supposed to be tough, but I thought they retired warhorses to stud!" Jam added, her fisted hands on her hips.

"I'd never use that kind of meat and my product is good!" the owner replied, twice as agitated than before.

"We'll see about that!" Jam squawked back. She pretended to look around until she found the man that was following them. "You! Get over here!"

The man blinked in surprise as Jam grabbed him by his collar and dragged him to the stand. She opened her hand to the owner, who gave her the same thing she had ordered moments before. She offered it to the man, "Eat this and tell me you're ready to gag on it."

Not prepared with such a question, the man stammered, "Uhm, I don't really..."

Jam shoved the bun and piece of meat in his face while the owner snarled, "EAT IT!"

Back at the fountain, Ky and Dizzy recognized their chance as they casually stood up and discreetly joined the stream of people to the northern streets. Ky wanted to look back to see if Jam was faring well, but knew they had to continue, like she said. Carefully weaving through the crowds, they noticed the clothier underneath a passageway. The shop was a humble affair, yet still seemed to do enough business to stay alive.

Walking through the door, they noticed the seamstress concluding her business with a customer. Looking to the stack of clothes to their right, Ky pulled Dizzy aside and whispered, "Jam gave us about five hundred World Dollars, that should be enough to get something inconspicuous."

Dizzy nodded and moved to the few racks with women's clothes, while staying within Ky's sight. Between every few articles she felt appropriate, she stole a glance back to Ky. It seemed he had no real preference for clothes and could not make any choices.

Holding back a small chuckle, she idly mused that warmer colors worked better with his hair and face. She moved back to her previous selection as the previous customer left and the seamstress walked up to Ky.

She turned back to the older woman as she muttered, "I'd go with something warmer. Warmer weather or not, it's always cold when one moves the mountains."

Surprised, Ky turned to the shop owner. "I don't understand."

The older woman took the jacket Ky was considering and held it up. "Many people prefer wearing looser and smaller clothing when summer comes around, unless they need reasons to hide themselves."

Dizzy held back a gasp when she realized that the woman had seen through them. However, before either one could react, the woman held her finger to her lips. She walked towards the door, locked it, and turned the sign in the window to 'closed'.

She gestured for them to follow her to the back of the shop. Still apprehensive, both Ky and Dizzy followed obediently. Behind the counter, the woman turned to them, smirked, and answered, "You wouldn't be the first ones to be on the run with a bounty on your head."

Frustrated, Ky leaned against the counter and asked her directly. "What gave it away?"

The older woman chuckled before she answered. "I've hardly ever seen any Frenchmen around these parts. Especially any as fair and well kept as Sir Ky Kiske."

Dizzy looked to Ky, wondering what was to happen to them. So far, neither of her guardians could sense anything dangerous from her. However, her increasing years could easily lead Dizzy's senses off.

"What do you intend to do?" Ky asked the seamstress.

The woman didn't turn to them as she started to look through some of the clothes in the back. "First, I am going to get you two some clothes to let you hide in the open. Then, you're going to go about your way and not get caught. I don't care what the Bounty Office said."

Intrigued, Ky pressed further, "What did they say?"

The old woman snorted as she started to pick a few sets from inside the counter, "They were going about some nonsense about the Hero of the Crusades being suspected in some terrorist activities. It was just hearsay and they admitted it. What was more laughable was that they believed he was harboring a Gear."

Dizzy gave Ky a surprised look. Did they really know she was under Ky's protection? If so, then things weren't going to be any easier for them.

"If he did," the old woman said, only to pause and turn to Ky, "if you did, I'm sure you have your reasons. I heard about the sentient Gear the Blackard Corp that you rescued."

Ky suddenly grew suspicious at the amount of news that a humble seamstress seemed to be aware of. "You must have very good ears to be able to hear all that much."

The old woman gave Ky a black shirt, denim jeans, and a jacket to go with it in response. She smiled and said, "You'd be surprised as to what these old ears of mine pick up, Sir Kiske."

Dizzy couldn't hold back anymore as she asked, "But, why are you helping us?"

The woman turned to her and smiled kindly. "If it weren't for Sir Kiske's defeating Justice, my husband and son would have been long dead. Most of the world owes its freedom and her lives to Sir Kiske. I just hope he feels that what he's doing is right."

Ky then looked to Dizzy. It was that same quizzical look he had given her when he had nearly killed her for waking him midst a nightmare. It soon dissolved into a small smile as he took the clothes to a fitting room.

Through the door, he said, "I wondered about that myself, but recent events have made me realize that I was not as clear sighted as I thought."

The old woman turned to Dizzy and whispered, "So, you are a Gear?"

Nervous, Dizzy nodded once. Hoping that it was the right thing to let this sudden benefactor know.

The woman shook her head in disbelief as she handed a set of clothes for Dizzy. "A Gear that looks like a human. Will wonders never cease?"

Still holding the clothes in her arms, Dizzy asked, downtrodden, "Do you hate me because of that?"

Surprised at the question, the old woman said, "Trust me, child. The only Gears I've seen were the ones that didn't look or act human. It's a fault I admit to, but if Sir Kiske's doing all he can to protect you, then there must be a reason for it. Even if I can't understand it."

Dizzy smiled as she replied. "Thank you. Ever since I left my parents' house, there weren't a lot of people that were nice to me so suddenly."

The woman continued to stare at her for a moment as Ky finished changing, signifying Dizzy's turn. When Dizzy had left their sight, Ky turned to the old woman and asked, "I can understand why you're doing this for me, but you do understand that she's a Gear."

The woman nodded. "I know. I keep telling myself the Crusades are over, but to see someone like her, that looks like anyone on the street, is slightly unsettling."

Ky sat on a chair and whispered ashamedly, "I almost killed her on more than one occasion because of that way of thinking. I always told myself that I wasn't a vengeful person. However, the day before yesterday, I realized I was only lying to myself. It's difficult, because never once did she do anything to hurt me."

The smirk on the old woman returned as she pointed out, "It appears that your lot is a much harder one than mine, Sir Kiske."

Ky matched her smirk with a rare one of his own, "You speak in understatement, madam." The smile vanished and he continued, "The only things she's ever asked of me is about my own past. My childhood is something I'd rather leave buried, despite the fact she never meant any harm. She defies everything that I've believed about Gears for most of my life. How am I supposed to respond to that?"

The old lady had listened to him without wavering and after a moment, she said, "If she's as human as she appears to be, then perhaps you need to stop thinking of her as a Gear and more as a human. Not too many gentle souls like her around, nowadays."

Ky nodded. "I concur. She told me herself, she never wanted her power. She loved her parents and friends more than anything. Yet, there are always things that are taking them from her. It seems... unfair to her."

Unknown to them, Dizzy had overheard the entire conversation. Already in her new clothes, a humble looking forest green ankle length skirt with a gray shirt and coat to keep herself covered and warm, she leaned against the wall of the dressing room and carefully absorbed what had transpired.

It was... therapeutic to hear such kind words. It was something she missed dearly, after growing used to them from her parents and the Jellyfish. For the first time in a while, she felt warm inside. Not even that specter, which had not shown itself for a good while, could dampen her mood.

She walked out and rejoined Ky as he was paying the seamstress. The old woman thanked them and said, "Be careful, Sir Kiske. There are many people that wouldn't do this."

"I'm grateful for your help, though I can't imagine that this may be putting you at peril as well."

The old woman waved it off. "I'm aware of the dangers of bounty hunting as well, Sir Kiske. Some of the unsavory types that I worked with would do more than frighten most people."

Comprehension dawned on Ky's face. "So that's how you keep so well informed."

The lady lead them to the front door, turned the sign around, and gave them a cheery smile, "I have no clue what you speak of, good sir, I'm just a humble seamstress, making ends meet."

Understanding her point, Ky nodded and led Dizzy out of the store and back on the street. He took one last look towards the old woman as she closed the door to resume her business. Never once did he ever expect to be repaid once the Crusades ended. Sure, there were the victory celebrations, the official disbanding of the Order, and his recommendation to the heads of State for the IPF. However, it never went past that, for there were people that were simply trying to survive and he couldn't blame them.

As he and Dizzy marched further to the northern parts of the city, a horrifying thought occurred. Perhaps they eluded a trap, only to be caught in another. If that woman was with the Bureau, then it looked like things could possibly get ugly very fast.

Besides, he thought bitterly, recalling a former acquaintance of his, it wouldn't have been the first time someone pretended to be on good terms with him.

Leaning over to Dizzy's ear, Ky whispered, "If you can spot anyone that means us harm, be ready."

Blinking, Dizzy asked, "Why?"

"Because, for all we know, that old woman may have been waiting for us with a few other bounty hunters. Or maybe she was with the Bureau and she's letting them know where we're going."

Dizzy frowned slightly as she stopped and said, "I don't think she was. I feel she truly wanted to help us." She was aware of the possible betrayal, however, her senses had yet to say otherwise.

Ky turned to her and returned the frown. "How would you know?"

Not at all deterred from Ky's stare, she said, "If she were lying, Undine or Necro would have told me. They were paying attention to everything she said. She wasn't lying at all."

Their stare down continued for a moment before Ky felt it moot point to argue. He looked down, slightly ashamed for doubting her. Never once had she lied to him. She trusted him and he still had to show the same courtesy.

"Alright. I'll go with you on this one," he said with a tinge of frustration.

As they continued their walk, Dizzy turned to him and asked, "Were you betrayed before?"

He looked to her momentarily, nodded, and answered, "Yes... it was by someone I thought was my friend. In the Order, betrayal was not tolerated in the least. It was a rare occasion when it happened, but whenever the trust had been broken, we had to hunt them down and kill them without trial."

He looked at his sleeve and recalled the black robes. It was nicknamed the 'Judgment of Iscariot', after the name of a misguided man that betrayed his righteous master. He suffered a horrible death when the weight of his crimes came to light. There was no room for traitors in the Holy Order and it was never an easy thing do, because Ky knew those who were accused.

He looked to her, noting the slight fear in her eyes. He bowed his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry, but it was an unforgiving time. You were lucky to have been born when you were."

She shook her head. "I can understand. Everything I read about the war spoke of how hard it was for normal people. It seemed that only the strongest were capable of living."

Passing over a bridge out of the more heavily populated areas, Ky added, "Especially when not everyone was capable of fighting against Justice. I remember that we had troubles with some people that were simply too old, weak, or incapable for being in the Order. It seemed cruel because of the standards the U.N. had imposed on us."

Dizzy could feel the melancholy in his voice. However, it relieved her to see that there was something she and Ky had agreed on. In spite of the spat they had earlier, she could see that he was not feeling as fearful around her than he was before. In fact, she noted with a bit of glee, he was starting to trust her like a companion. Almost like when she was with the Jellyfish pirates. She wanted to say, perhaps, they could even be friends. Yet, for now, she would have to settle for this. Regardless, she didn't mind.

She was about to say something when she noticed the crowd around them was nearly gone and she could see the airstrips ahead. Located at the edge of the city, each strip was granted a clear run towards the north, with the freedom to go any direction they needed. Each strip reached out for two and a half kilometers with accompanying half dozen bunkers for incoming and outgoing craft.

Moving down the line, the ship they were to take north soon came into their sight. It wasn't the Mayship, but it certainly was sturdy enough for what it looked like it had been through. Many airships were originally designed on large passenger aircraft that were in great use before the Crusades, this one was no exception. However, there were multiple modifications, probably illegal, that enabled the ship to move as well as it seemed it would.

"Ah! You're here!" a familiar voice chirped, catching both their attention. Both, Dizzy and Ky, gawked when they saw Jam walk to them and continue, "Come on, you're going to be late!"

Before they could ask questions, she smiled and said, "I know all the short cuts."

"It's about time!" the captain of the ship, Ma Xi, said walking up to them. Despite his rough voice, he had a rather clean cut and well maintained appearance. In addition, his style of Asian clothing seemed a bit too garish for where he was at present. A white vest and pants, with a pair of tanned boots that appeared brand new upon initial inspection. His hair was sleeked back into a style that seemed a bit too archaic for current day tastes.

"You just do your job, Ma Xi. Remember you still owe me!" Jam screeched, just as harsh as he did.

"Alright! I got it!" Ma Xi growled back before inclining his head to his bulky freighter. "We take off as soon as you guys board. We're scheduled to leave within half an hour, so make it quick." He ran back to his ship before Jam could chew him out anymore.

Jam, with humored smile, said, "Good help is so hard to find." She then turned to Dizzy and said, "Say, could you go on ahead to the ship, please? There's something I wanna say to Ky."

Dizzy turned to Ky, who nodded, though slightly apprehensive. She was aware of how Jam felt about Ky, but the conversation from last night seemed to tell her something more than what she new. Regardless, she walked with her few possessions in hand to the passenger compartment.

When Jam was sure Dizzy was out of earshot, she turned to Ky, smiled, and said, "I'm still gonna miss you. So, I want to give you something."

Ky still felt wary of the tone in Jam's voice as she spoke. He had known her to be overenthusiastic in many things. He was about to ask what she had in mind when she stood on her toes and whispered in his ear, "Mei Lin."

A moment passed before he realized what she had just told her. Kuradoberri Jam's real name. Most Asians that lived outside their homelands hardly ever gave out their names, especially to those not of their race.

"Keep it safe, alright?" Jam asked with a sad, yet playful smile before she turned away and walked off. It took another moment and a shout from Ma Xi to bring him to his senses and rush to the ship before it lifted off.

* * *

From within the city, the same old woman that assisted Ky and Dizzy earlier watched the airships leaving through her window, wondering which one they were on. She silently prayed that he would be safe, along with the Gear child he took care of. 

"So, they're gone, aren't they?" one of her customers said, which bore a striking resemblance to the man that had been following them earlier that day.

"Yes, they are," she answered, "They've probably out of Turkish airspace by now."

Examining a coat, the man said, "Good. Now, the Bureau and the Shadow Hearts will keep wondering if they're here or not."

Slightly confused, the seamstress asked, "isn't your organization supposed to be allied with the Shadow Hearts?"

The man nodded as he replied, "yes, but just because we're in cahoots with each other doesn't mean we tell each other everything. They are politicians, after all."

The old woman grinned wryly as the man left, now that his business here was concluded.

"Hope of the world, huh?" she said to herself, before she returned to her current job. She had heard many interesting things, but to think that a Gear like Dizzy was to be some kind of hero was something else.

* * *

"If you don't mind me asking, captain," Ky said, staring up the hallway to the captain's deck, "where are we heading and when will we land?" 

With a sarcastic smile, Ma Xi said back, "We'll be illegally cruising at an altitude of about one kilometer, please be sure to dress warmly, for we will be making out journey through pirate infested skies. Our estimated time of arrival is roughly a day, so please take your seat, enjoy the ride and shut the hell up!"

Ky mentally sighed and returned to the compartment where Dizzy sat with her gaze out the window. He slumped into his chair and joined her view of the mountains and clouds. The silence continued for nearly an hour until Dizzy turned to him and asked quietly, "What did Jam want to tell you?"

He looked up to her and wondered how best to let her know that it was something private between them. Names were a sacred thing to Asian peoples and he had no intention of treating Jam's trust so casually.

With a small smile and a flash of inspiration, he said, "Something that she only tells people she trusts."

Surprised, Dizzy digested Ky's answer and replied, "I see." She knew that she had only met Jam twice, and not always in the best of circumstances. However, her curiosity made her wonder if she could ever earn that much trust with Jam.

"Coincidentally, how exactly did you end up convincing Jam to let you go with Johnny?"

Dizzy smiled and moved to the edge of her seat and began to eagerly reiterate her story to Ky.

End of Chapter 12

There we go. Thanks again goes to Samu for his pre-reading. All proofreading was also done by Samu, though he was kind enough to let me find out my mistakes.

Another things I've discovered is that people doubt Jam's intelligence. Which is odd, considering she is a martial arts prodigy and has enough business savvy to start her own business, even successfully too. My humble request to authors out there: Spread the love of Jam. 'k? Jam's a funny girl and I like funny girls. It's certainly better than angst.

Now, we got more build up to a plot point that's not going to be happening next chapter. Zero pointed out to me that there's so many layers going on that it's about time we got something to actually happen. Shed no tears, all faithful four readers. We have a plot point on the horizon, but first, we have a flashback of canon for the next chapter.

I originally planned on having the gypsies from chapter four appear again in this chapter, but it would have dragged it down. So, after discussing it with my prereader, it'd be best to simply introduce them later. After all, I'm a capable writer... aren't I?

Now then, all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy and Daisuke Ishiwatari... who actually needs to work on something NEW for GGX3, dang it!


	13. What religion or reason

Looking to the edge of the clearing, Dizzy turned to Undine and said, "There's a lot of people appearing. Moreso than normal." There had been an increasing frequency of visitors, most of them bounty hunters, yet the odd ones kept sticking out in her mind. Appearing from behind Dizzy, Undine nodded and looked to the source of the presence they all felt approaching. 

"Odd. There's not as much malignancy in this one than the others," Undine noted with a cocked eyebrow. It was not difficult to tell how dangerous or threatening a visitor was by multiple factors that were easily discernible. The pace of their gait, the amount of noise they made moving through the foliage, and the number of animals that fled their presence. This one seemed much less vicious than the others. Perhaps it was just a traveler that got lost.

"Hello! Anyone here?" a noticeably high soprano voice rang through the pathway leading to the grove. It held a strong Asian accent to the European standard, German, and seemed the person owning it was still either very young or their voice had yet to develop fully.

Standing up, Dizzy dusted off what few leaves that had dropped on her dress and walked towards the voice cautiously. She had been fortunate to survive the scuffle with the Holy Order soldier and she had little choice if this one would turn out any different.

At the middle of the path to the grove, she appeared like a specter from nowhere. The Asian girl, clad in what some would consider an indecent sleeve-less shirt, detachted sleeves reaching to her wrists, and a ridiculously high skirt, paused and scrutinized her with a seemingly careless eye. Dizzy could tell this one was no fool either. The usual bounty hunters had an air of roughness that threw caution to the wind. This one, like the Holy Order soldier, was different.

The girl forced herself into a calming state, as she locked gazes with Dizzy. With a low and belligerent tone, she said, "People don't usually live this deep in a forest where they say a devil lives, do they?" Gone was the seemingly infantile and simple child and in its place, a warrior that could hold her own against those larger and stronger.

Evenly, Dizzy replied with a calm that equaled the girl's own. "No. They don't. But, I have no choice. I don't want to hurt anyone, so I came here." She looked to the ground, noting where the Asian girl stood, and turned to the darker parts of the forest. "It's about the bounty isn't it?"

She heard the rustle of leave underneath her visitor's feet and turned to see the girl moving into some kind of battle stance. Her breathing had grown slower, and her body had grown tense, ready to strike. "And if it is?"

Knowing that nothing good would come of beating around the bush, she pressed, silently telling her guardians to prepare for an eventual battle. "Why? I've done you no wrong?"

The girl remained still as she moved into a different and lower stance, prepping herself for a possible sudden attack. The girl's face grew into a frown as she muttered, "because, dreams can't be built by will alone. They need substance! And therefore, I need money for my dream restaurant!" Using both, legs, she flew forward and extended her forward hand in attempt to hit Dizzy in the head.

Dizzy ducked the attack and leaped forward, away from her assailant. In a flash of light, she changed into her battle gear, turned around, and hovered over the ground a few centimeters, ready to defend herself. To her amazement, the Asian girl leaped up to the nearest tree, used it as a spring board, and propelled herself over to Dizzy's location with surprising speed. She silently gave orders to her guardians to simply react with a passive defense to the attacker's moves. Though her foe was fast, skilled, and a visible threat, she was nowhere near the level of the Holy Order soldier. She quickly suppressed a request from Necro to do her harm and ordered him to simply deflect her attacks with his own. She would do all she could to avoid bloodshed.

Pulling back, Undine summoned a pair of the icy created fish that charged with frightening speed and accuracy. It gave her the chance she needed as the girl redirected her foot to destroy the first fish and punch through the second. Using the few seconds she gained from the distraction, she attempted to mimic the action which give her adversary extra speed and grasped onto branches a few meters above the ground. With the momentum she gained, Dizzy swung herself up to her feet to see the bounty hunter with a look of incredulity.

"What the... how'd you that!" she nearly screamed.

Steadying herself against the main part of the tree, Dizzy answered calmly, "I just did what you did."

To Dizzy's surprise, the girl started screeching and stomping her feet like a little girl. "ARG! It took me three weeks to figure out how to do that right! How dare you copy it from me in so short a time!"

Dizzy wasn't sure how to react to the tantrum she saw from a woman, that by all rights, looked around twenty. Most people, she had learned, took it with a bit of surprise, but then just moved on. This one, on the other hand, acted nothing like her age dictated. Like a frustrated animal, almost like a monkey, the girl used the previous maneuver Dizzy had copied, and launched herself upward. With little difficulty, the girl landed across from her, still far from arm's reach, and balanced on one foot, ready to attack again.

Thinking ahead, Dizzy made Undine threw a few more of the summoned fish and distract the baboon. She had a feeling it wouldn't work as well as it did the time before, but knew it was better than simply standing still and allowing herself to be captured.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, but I don't want to be turned in either," Dizzy cried helplessly as she hovered backward and hopped to a lower branch. If her pursuer was as proficient with her balance as Dizzy thought, her lead wouldn't last long. So, she had to get as much space between them as she could.

Dizzy knew she could never compete against this person that could fight like, or even better than, a gorilla. She had a feeling that if she was caught within arm's length, she was done for. She knew she could take punishment, but she knew that this girl's strength was greater than her natural defense. In addition, the her speed was steadily increasing and it was unlikely that Necro and Undine could possibly deflect every blow in time.

Returning to the ground, she misjudged the height from the last branch and had to compensate. She discovered that hovering, as easy as it appeared to be initially, was much harder when having to deal with gravity on a much greater scale during combat. So much that when she tried to settle herself at her usual height, she nearly launched herself into a tree trunk.

Her ability to float came without warning, not long after she left her parents' home. When her survival instincts came to bear, she found that she had not gotten faster from running, but the magic in her feet could allow her to move faster than had she simply used her feet. Yet, it never really grew much more than a few centimeters from the ground. Asking Testament about it, she was told that if she could learn to properly control that power, she could possibly fly with no fear of falling. It was an exciting thought, though she knew she had to be patient if she wanted that to happen.

She had little time to brood on the subject, because, like she previously observed, the bounty hunter was not far behind. However, the manner in which she descended the trees only reinforced how she initially described the hunter. So much that as she moved back again to a safer distance, her hand moved to her mouth and failed to let out an audible snicker.

Despite the gravity of situation, Dizzy had a hard time trying to keep a straight face. Where had the monkey analogy come from? Then, she recalled one of the animal books in her father's study. It was a book meant for children and it was the first book she read. She liked the monkey so much she often tried to do what they did by hanging around ledges and branches around her home. Her poor parents nearly panicked when Dizzy nearly slipped off a branch one time. Though her enthusiasm for the animal waned, she couldn't put the image out of her head.

Evidently, the simian noticed her attempt to stifle a giggle and her frown grew. "What's so funny?"

With no choice, Dizzy started to chuckle and leaned against the tree. "Oh, it's nothing you did. What you did reminded me of something I did a while ago."

Now her guest seemed more confused than irritated. It appeared that this event was timely enough to disperse the tension and stop the fight. Maybe, it wouldn't degrade as badly as it did the time with the Holy Order soldier.

"Wait. Wait. I don't understand," the intruder said, even more confused than before.

"What the little lady is saying," a new voice said from a nearby tree, noticeably male this time,"is that she's more human than most people think."

Dizzy and the girl turned to see a man, somewhat older than both of them, dressed a strange hat, trench coat, pants, belt, and shoes, all of which were black. He wore no shirt, which showed a visible muscular torso. At his side, a wooden length, with a segment long enough to be a sword handle, led Dizzy to believe a blade was hidden within. It was not the first one she had seen, but similarly to her present guest, he held an air of confidence gained from experience.

"Whoa! Hold on a minute!" the other girl said, "this is my bounty, pirate. I'm not letting it go!" Though her words seemed like no empty boast, yet, it still sounded like a child arguing over a taken toy. So great was her determination to capture the bounty, she whirled around and suddenly charged with her palms open, ready to strike at his weak points.

To both Dizzy's and her shock, the man moved as smoothly as the wind, easily circumventing her attack. With no lack of style, he gently clasped her hand and twirled her around until he was practically carrying her in his arms.

"Such a beauty doing such dastardly things like trying to hurt another here... oh," he said, trying to appear emotionally injured as he removed his shades, "it's a travesty against nature!"

The bounty hunter didn't appear amused as she easily escaped his embrace and shoved him back with a shove with her shoulders from a hastily prepared stance. Though, it served its purpose and moved him away, the man didn't appear too perturbed as he dusted off his jacket and placed his shades back on.

"Sorry, Miss Kuradoberri Jam," the man said casually leaning on his weapon, "but I just can't let you take the girl like that. Also, I don't think she wants to be cashed in like some poker chips."

His words surprised Dizzy as she slowly hovered nearby, peeking beside a smaller tree. It was the first time she had heard anyone say that for her. She asked her guardians to watch his words, in case he had some ulterior motive. It seemed too good to be true that she had an ally in all the bounty hunters that wanted her skin.

"Oh, yeah. Well, excuse me, Johnny Sfondi, but as far as the bounty goes, it's finders keepers!" the hunter named Jam said with her fists on her waist. It appeared that Jam had no intention of giving up the chase.

Johnny smiled as though he held the winning hand in a card game, "What makes you think she would simply roll over and let you take her? Looks like she was leading the game when I saw you two fighting."

Dizzy turned back to Jam's shocked expression. "What! No! I was the one on the..." she paused and then turned to Dizzy and then back to Johnny. Though, it was true Dizzy had more than one chance to take advantage of Jam and exploit a few weak areas, she was more concerned with keeping her distance.

"And..." Johnny continued with an index finger and a smile to prove his point, "I've seen guys that have fought against her. She's got power, but she hasn't killed anyone and I don't think she wants to."

"He does have something else in mind," Undine whispered in the back of her head, "but it doesn't seem malignant." She kept what her guardian said in mind as she slowly stepped out from her hiding place.

"You saying that she could have killed me?" Jam cried, even more agitated than before.

Johnny shook his head casually and responded, "No. Judging by from what I've seen, she only would have fought you off. I repeat, sweet thing, she doesn't want to hurt people."

Jam forced a smile as she replied, "Keep up the talk, buster, and I will de-sex you with my bare hands."

Unconcerned, Johnny put forward, "Well, it looks like we're at an impasse. She doesn't want to leave, you want to turn her in, and I disagree with you."

Gathering her courage, Dizzy offered, "Um, is there anything that can be done about the bounty? I'd rather not have people chasing me all the time."

Jam turned to her and was about to scold her for speaking out of turn when Johnny interceded. "Well, if we gave Miss Jam some proof here that she's capable of claiming the bounty, then she can get the money and basically annul the bounty."

Jam looked to Johnny, then to Dizzy, and back to Johnny before giving her answer. "That all sounds nice and all, but what do you get out of it? It no secret you like the little girls a little too much, Sfondi."

The air pirate snorted and flipped his blond hair back over his shoulder, "Pure hearsay. Besides, what kind of man would I be if I didn't do my best for women the world over?"

Jam didn't seem convinced. However, she didn't get a chance to answer as Dizzy asked, "What would she need to prove that she got the bounty?"

Knowing that a favorable strain of thought was starting up, the debonair pirate said, "Something physical of yours maybe? The bounty office responds better with actual evidence."

"Evidence? Like..." Dizzy held one of the two long braids in her hand, "some of my hair?"

Jam clapped her hands repeatedly and squealed happily, "OH! That'd be great! There's nobody with hair like yours! They'd give me the money toot sweet!"

Johnny turned to Dizzy and asked, "Is that alright with you?"

A handful of her hair? She never considered that before. It was certainly a more appealing option than giving up the dress her mother and she had made, or the ribbons she'd received as her first birthday present. With evident relief in her voice, she asked both of them, "Do either of you have something sharp?"

Johnny nodded and with a smooth motion, pulled his blade our of the sheath. He handed her the sword handle and she took both of the hanging bangs from the back of her head. With one clean cut, she had taken off roughly fifteen centimeters of the two strands. It was enough to provide the evidence Jam needed.

She placed the strands into Jam's hands, whose eyes were practically glowing with anticipation. With all the exuberance of the child, Jam leaped into the air, screamed in triumph and ran out of the forest as quickly as she appeared. She handed the blade back to it's owner, closing the deal. With the bounty taken care of, she hoped to resume her quiet life in the groove.

When Johnny tarried, she turned to him and said, a tad cynical, "Shouldn't you go with her? It's a lot of money, from what I've heard."

"Now, now," Johnny said, quickly stepping beside Dizzy with the same smile he had on before, "that's not what I came for."

Emotionally exhausted in so short a time, she refused to meet his eyes as she answered, "Whatever your reason is, it's best if you just left. No matter what I do, my power only brings sadness to those around me."

The air pirate only folded his arms and said with a surprisingly gentle tone, "It was never your power I wanted."

She then turned to him and asked, "Then what was it?"

With a sincerity that she could feel, he said, "Your smile," he leaned on his weapon as though it were a cane and continued, "I know it's not an easy thing to ask for, but I can wait for it. Just make sure it's an extraordinary one."

Wary, she asked quietly, "how can I trust you? For all I know, it could be just a ruse to make me drop my guard and turn me in before the other hunter."

Johnny's smile grew and he chuckled, "If that were so, May would never forgive me."

She tilted her head slightly, "May?"

In response to her query, a new and shrill voice screamed from the opposite direction, "JOHNNY!"

He gestured to the source of the voice and said, "And speaking of which..." he started to walk to where his name was called, but not before he turned to her again and said almost solemnly, "if I were doing this to deceive you, I'd be the one to bear the shame of it, not you."

Knowing that his words held some truth to them, and with no real warnings from Undine and Necro, she slowly turned and followed him out of the grove to meet what would be one of her best friends.

* * *

"Though, I wondered how he was able to find me so easily. Most of the hunters that got past Testament took a long and confusing route to get to my hiding place," Dizzy noted as she leaned against her seat to look out of the window. It was then that she realized that reiterating the story in chunks had taken longer than she thought. She had spent the most of their journey telling him the story. 

Like the first time she had expounded her past to him, Ky Kiske had listened intently to her every word. It was slightly flattering to her that he listened so closely and did not interrupt her at all.

Leaning against his own chair, he said calmly, "it's because... well, I informed Johnny about you."

The comment surprised the half-Gear. She had thought that once he had left her home, that was the last they saw of each other. "Johnny never told me anything about that... what happened? Why?"

Ky looked to the ground in recollection as he recited, "it's true that he's wanted by the law for various offenses. However, I've been following the Pirates for a while and in spite of our differing... points of view, I've found that he's been doing more for orphans and further reaching towns than the UN has."

Dizzy nodded and added, "not long after I joined, it was pretty regular for us to be visiting towns that needed help. Sometimes it was food, other times we'd fix a generator, help rebuild a house, that sort of thing."

Ky acknowledged his protectorate's answer and continued, "well, again, not long after we met, I ran into him. And since I knew he'd probably do more for you than I ever could, I told him about where you were," there was a long pause before Ky added, with a bit of embarrassment, "I hope you didn't mind."

Dizzy smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. Thanks to you, I've found some of the best people I've ever known..." but soon her smile deteriorated, "and now they're gone."

Before he would allow her depression to sink them further he added, "I wouldn't discount the Bureau somehow figuring out that you were with them. From what I've found, it seems they have a lot of eyes and ears everywhere. It'd been making my job harder because they continue to vanish before I can expose them."

The rumbling of the engine was the only sound in the cabin as both occupants remained still, for the conversation had been spoken and nothing more needed to be said. However, Dizzy's small voice still penetrated the white noise as she asked, "Mr. Kiske?"

"Hm?"

"I remember Johnny once talking about inviting you to join the Jellyfish..."

Ky sighed. It was a memory he would have rather forgotten. He had been ordered to capture May, in spite of his objections. His heart wasn't in the mission and he had failed. It was during that time, a brainwashed Chipp Zanuff and a squad of Robo-Ky had attacked him and the Jellyfish. Both Johnny and Ky had agreed that there was something wrong going on in the government.

The former even went so far to invite Ky along and abandon his position in the IPF. Ky had refused and he ended up fending for himself. "I regret that meeting because... in retrospect, a part of me was seriously thinking of joining you. I was tired of the runaround, the silence. I began to wonder when I would be ordered to start arresting civilians for protesting."

Dizzy studied him quietly and answered, "I don't think it would have been bad if you did. The other girls would have liked it."

Ky's eyebrow cocked in curiosity. "The other girls?"

Dizzy nodded again. "Even if you are part of the IPF, most of the other Jellyfish think pretty highly of you."

The comment took the policeman off guard. He knew that people respected and admired him from his part in the Crusades, but to think he had earned the respect of air pirates was something he did not expect. He always believed that they didn't like him on account of his trying to arrest Johnny on more than one occasion.

A though then occurred to Ky as he looked up to her and asked, "Do you think they may have survived? Considering Johnny was there, I imagined they've known what it's like to travel through hostile skies."

The former Jellyfish considered his question for a moment before answering. "It's possible. But, we always made sure to keep transceivers on familiar bandwidth if we ever got separated..." her face started to appear melancholy as she continued, "I never got the chance... what if they're alive and I don't know it? Would... would they hate me if they..."

The former Holy Order knight interrupted her, "I doubt they would. They took you in without regard to your heritage. In fact, they seem more forgiving than most... it's something I wish there were more of in the IPF."

Ky looked out the window, noting that the sun was setting between the darkening clouds in the west. They would be reaching their destination ahead of schedule thanks to a tail wind the ship had caught. "Looks like we're almost there..."

A tremor shook the cabin as both passengers held onto their seats. Dizzy looked to the window as Ky held onto the door frame, hoping to reach the bridge.

"What was that?" Ky asked down the hallway.

"That's pulvis!" Dizzy said in a near panic. The sound, the whine of the weapon had before it impacted sounded very familiar.

Ky turned back to her, "What?"

"Pulvis, "earth magic'. It's used in air-to-air munitions. It's unstable at high altitudes, that's why it's always used as ammo for airships." Dizzy said as she tried to stand up before another blast knocked her back into her chair.

"Captain!" Ky yelled again, as he leaned against the other side of the hall, stumbling to reach the bridge.

"I heard you the first time!" Ma Xi, the captain of the ship he and Dizzy rode in, yelled back as he ran to the one of the receivers. "Attention all hands! We're under attack and being boarded! All hands repel intruders!" He slammed the microphone back to it's holder and turned to Ky, "Hate to tell you this, but here is where you get off. Take your girlfriend to a life boat and beat it! I can't stand having civvies getting hurt on my watch to ruin my rep!"

Not wanting to be ordered around by a fop nor liking the insunuation that he and Dizzy were an item, he went back to his cabin, grabbed the Thunderseal on his seat, and said to Dizzy, "Come on. I'm going to help push the pirates back."

"What about the lifeboat?" Dizzy asked as she stood up, clearly not wanting to enter the melee taking place up on deck.

He pulled his weapon out of its sheath and looked to the hallway leading topside, as he said quickly, "It can wait. If we can drive off enough of them, then we won't need to. You stay here."

Dizzy frowned when she digested the tone and content of his last comment. It almost sounded like he didn't trust her. "I want to help though..."

"Can you think of a way to do so without revealing... 'that'?" Ky asked, staring at her straight in the eyes. By some stroke of luck, they were able to convince Haan to keep her secret, but a group like Ma Xi's was something else completely. Things would have gotten ugly very quickly if her secret was exposed again.

Not being able to meet his stare, she turned back to the window to see one of the attacking ships moving for another pass. Realization and an idea formed faster than a retort to his earlier statement. Dashing past him, she grabbed his wrist and said, "Follow me! I know how we can help!"

Though he was initially shocked at her sudden boldness, he followed her down the hallway to the docking bay where the life boats were docked.

"What did you have in mind?" Ky said as he jumped into the life boat with Dizzy as she started the procedure to start the craft.

A 'life boat' for airships was not the same as the simple wooden capsule meant for sea faring boats. Encased in a light iron alloy, a 'life boat' was equipped with a ventus powered engine for flight and descent, a small control panel for steering, a large parachute, and a survival kit for four people. It became the standard for fleeing cargo ships that were attacked by pirates and aerial Gears.

"I need you to pilot this to where the pirate ships are," Dizzy said as she ran back to the wall near the entrance and pulled the switch to open the bay doors. Before Ky could protest, the doors opened slowly, and he was grateful for the low altitude and speed of most airships. Otherwise, he had heard, that if they were in normal planes of the times, they'd have been tossed out of the hangar, a note which make him clasp the buckles meant to hold the passengers in the craft.

He held onto the steering mechanism as Dizzy leaped back into the boat. The former Holy Order knight watched in amazement how efficient and determined she was when the proper situation called for it. When Dizzy started the engine, the boat started its hovering over the ground and gradually slipped out of the bay. Finally, she placed the documents she and Ky had worked so hard to acquire in the boat's strong box, making sure they'd not get caught in the wind. True to form, the wings from the boat extended and they were airborne.

Pulling the craft around, Ky kept his concentration on keeping the boat right side up as he called back, "What are you planning?"

His charge crawled up to his side and said through the roar of the wind, "If we can disable the attacking craft, then the pirates will withdraw," she pointed to behind the craft they just evacuated, "go that way!"

Following her instructions, he adjusted the boat's course and flew underneath Ma Xi's craft. Sure enough, the attacking vessel had several lines attaching itself to prevent Ma Xi from escaping. The wires were strong enough that if Ma Xi tried to out run the pirates, he'd bring greater harm to his ship than their own.

"How are you going to make them retreat?" Ky asked as he started to move to the front of the vessel, still outside of their sight. Hearing no reply he turned to see to his horror, that Dizzy has jumped from the life boat, abandoning her jacket, and into the darkening skies.

Before he could even try to pull the ship around, Dizzy's wings tore through the back of her shirt and to his astonished eyes, she flew back around him and to the back of the attacking ship as though she were a bird. He pulled the stick backward to follow his charge.

"Undine, I need you to find which ones that can be destroyed, yet, still enable them to get away," Dizzy said to her guardians.

"It'd be easier just to destroy all their engines and let them plummet to their doom," the golden eyed specter said appearing from the darkness. Dizzy hoped that this woman had vanished completely, leaving her alone. No such luck.

Dizzy frowned to the red haired ghost and screamed mentally,"I am not listening to you! Leave me alone!" Now was not the time to be tormented by an image that wouldn't leave her be.

"Dizzy, who are you talking to?" Undine asked worriedly.

The Jellyfish pirate was silent for a moment as she replied quietly, "It's nothing... we need to concentrate on the ship."

Undine gave her a metal nod, and with no flying interference, the feminine guardian appeared. She drew both of her arms back, and with a sweep of both arms, a large sphere appeared flew directly towards the primary engines. With another wave of her hands, several spires made of ice jutted out of the engine, collided with the sphere, and created a secondary blast, damaging it further.

As per her assumption, the men from the ship noticed their craft's plight, knowing they were lost if they didn't pull back, retreated with all haste while the cords still supported the struggling raiders. Both half-Gear and IPF officer noticed with quiet relief that the ship that had escaped any further damage.

Eventually, the ships drifted out of sight as the life boat, incapable of ascending, started to drift to the Earth. Ky tried to see through the clouds, but to his chagrin, knew he wouldn't be able to until he got past the layer. Dizzy landed behind him on the life boat and buckled herself on. By then, Ky had slowed their descent to the point where the wind was no problem, only the clouds.

"Since when could you fly?" Ky asked without turning to her. It was surprising to think that he knew so little about what she could do and to think that she could have flown away from him at any time was slightly unsettling.

"For a little while... but, even then, all I could do was glide. I didn't even know I could fly," Dizzy replied as sincerely as she could. It was a detail about herself she never really took into account, for she didn't use it so much. In fact, the only time it did happen, was during the ordeal at Purgatory. It was not something she wanted to broadcast much.

Ky sighed and looked to the few cracks of the clouds to the ocean below and expansive forest ahead. "Any idea where we are?" Their original destination was supposed to be Second St. Petersburg, but the fight with the pirate lasting as long as it did, most likely tossed them off course.

The half-Gear looked to the west, hoping to find any source of light nearby. Even with where they were before, her best guess that the closest town was New Helsinki. It would be preferable, considering their circumstances.

In a similar train of thought, Ky directed the life boat towards land and said, "It looks like we're going to have to walk, once we land. We'll find a road, and with any luck, we'll be able to find out where we are, then get back to France."

With no alternative, she nodded and sat in the rear seat of the craft, slowly watching it ease through the thinning clouds and over the tops of the sea of green beneath them. Sure enough, there were patches of road leading to what they hoped were civilization. Paved paths were a rarity, but there was much cobblestone, an age old material that still found usefulness.

Finding an open patch of grass through the trees, Ky opened the parachute and turned off the engine, the life boat's wings retracted, and landing sleds appeared. With a much slower descent, the boat landed roughly on the even grass, yet the belts kept both of its passengers from falling out. In addition, the spring loaded sleds had absorbed most of the force, making the landing smoother.

Now at a complete stop, Ky and Dizzy unbuckled themselves, ready to leave the craft behind. Ky sheathed the Thunderseal and his protectorate removed the precious documents she had placed in the strong box, along with the survival kits they could carry. With nothing more, they started out from the woods and onto the stone path, leading to the small hamlet nearby.

"Oh, Dizz... er, Luveria. It'd be best if you hid your wings, just in case," Ky said, making sure to use her given name and not the one everyone simply referred her by.

She complied and retracted her discolored extremities without a second thought as she followed him onto the path. It appeared she would have to get another jacket soon, since she had lost the other one back in the sky. She would also have to explain why there were two holes coming out from the back of her shirt. It was nothing new, so, she paid it little heed as she walked upon the stones of the path beside him.

She could smell the heavy moisture in the air, figuring the town was a port, like her own home was. They were heading south, the direction from where the smell of the ocean came from. It brought back more memories of her short childhood, in so much that she recognized the colors of the cobblestone path, even in the moonlight. So caught up was she in her nostalgia, she started walking in a familiar pattern on the rocks. A pattern so familiar, that it made her stop in her tracks.

Ky recognized her hesitation and turned to ask, "What's wrong?" He noticed an almost spooked look on her face as she started looking everywhere around them. She looked to the trees, the foliage, the path they walked on.

She whispered in an almost shocked tone, "I know where we are..."

Before Ky could ask her where, she bolted from where she stood and followed the path further. Not wanting to lose her, he followed her as fast as his legs could carry him, marveling at how much faster Luveria was moving compared to him. Thankfully, the dash wasn't as far as he had dreaded, and they soon came up to a single house at the edge of town.

She had already reached the door and was pounding it as hard as her small hands could. Repeatedly, she yelled, "Hello! Is anyone home?" By the time Ky had caught up with her, the lights in the house had turned on. Ky wasn't sure whether to panic or not. Did Dizzy know anyone here?

...unless. If it were so, there was only one place where they could possibly be.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he saw the door open, and an elderly man stepping into view. The older man looked at Ky, and then at Dizzy. He immediately froze when he met Dizzy eye to eye.

Between haggard breaths, Dizzy said only one thing.

"Hello, dad. I'm home."

End of Chapter 13

Geez. Sure took me long enough. As we all know, real life can and will get in the way. And that's what happened.

I always figured that there had to have been some kind of deal between Dizzy, Johnny, and Jam to agree to let the first get out, the second to get his crew member, and the third her money. But it always troubled me as to the proof Jam would need to prove her bounty. Many thanks to Samuraiter on that one.

Air pirates in the Guilty Gear world? Of course there are! Yaar, matey. Thar be plot points that'll shiver ye timbers if ye don watch fer 'em!

Once more, we got life boats. If you've noticed in a few of the GGX2 endings, the Jellyfish pirates use lifeboats that kinda look like boats, but I figure I got a little elbow room to take advantage of, since not everyone adheres to the same design.

Next, this is just the set up for the build up for something that I hope'll be a major plot point. It's one of the first ideas I had for this story, and I can only pray that it'll work out when it does happen.

Finally, all things Guilty Gear belong to Sammy, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and Arc Systems. Credit is theirs, not mine.


	14. No More Tears

"L... Luveria?" Iliya said in surprise. The intervening years after the Crusade had given the older solider a much needed rest and he seemed healthier for it. The only time Ky had met Iliya was near the end of the war, during that single offensive in Rome, where they had finally caught Justice in the prison dimension. He, like many other soldiers, were physically, emotionally, and mentally tired from the constant warfare.

Iliya's daughter nodded as she tried to catch her breath. "Yes, dad. It's me."

Her father looked from her to Ky and blinked in surprise, not expecting the former leader of the Holy Order to appear at his doorstep alongside his adopted daughter.

"Sir Morourmetz," Ky said between breaths and a nod of respect.

Iliya's joy at seeing his daughter again quickly dissipated when he saw their clothes, their shortness of breath, and the harried appearance. He looked around the clearing where his house was and noticing no one near, he said, "Come in, Sir Kiske. There's quite a bit that you have to tell me... and more you'd like to know, I imagine."

Ky nodded in agreement. Ever since Dizzy had told him that Iliya Moroumetz was her father, he wanted to know the reasons why he continued to treat Dizzy as though she was of his blood. He had a sneaking suspicion that Iliya knew that she was a Gear since the day he got her, and yet continued raising her as his own.

Stepping in, Ky and Dizzy noted the smell of vegetables and meats being cooked from the kitchen. Dizzy's eyes lit up as she started running towards the source of the scent. "Hey, mom. It's Luveria! I'm back!"

Ky stopped his advance when he noticed Iliya standing still when Dizzy mentioned her mother. A sense of dread quickly grew in the pit of his stomach.

"Mom?" Dizzy's voice echoed through the house. When he noticed Iliya leaning against the wall, his hunch was becoming more and more likely.

"Dad, where's mom? Isn't she around?" Dizzy said running back to the hallway where Ky and Iliya stood. Her confusion turned to fear when she saw her father's forlorn face.

"Luveria... your mother... she passed away about three months ago..." Iliya quietly said, hoping to soften the blow of his announcement.

Ky looked down and offered a silent prayer as Dizzy, shocked into silence at the news, tried to keep her balance. At only four years old, Dizzy had not only lost her mother once, but now twice. Here, she hoped to have a chance to catch up with what she missed during her time with the pirates. How she wanted to come back and spend time with her beloved parents. Now, Velija Moroumetz was gone.

"How did it happen?" Ky asked as calmly as he could. He was no stranger to being the bearer of bad news to the family members of those that had died under his command. Yet, the heavy atmosphere never lessened whenever he encountered the sobs and wails of agony of losing one they loved most.

Iliya motioned for them to follow him to the main room, and when they had taken their seats, Iliya began, looking at Ky straight in the eye. "Are you familiar with the condition Magica Toxica?"

The name was familiar to Ky. He had heard only the name in passing when he had seen some of the Order soldiers fighting against Gears for an extended amount of time. Still, not knowing much more than the name, he shook his head.

Iliya interlaced his fingers together. "From what I've learned, it's a cancer that shuts down your nervous system and body functions after being repeatedly exposed to magic over a long period of time."

Ky's hand drifted over his sword. "But what about the Outrage? Those themselves are a powerful magnets to the magic they use."

Iliya nodded and continued, "That's because the weapons take the magic from nature itself and 'refines' them to the magic that we use everyday. Also, most of the magic used is refined."

"So, how did she contract this disease?" Ky asked a bit more tersely than he would have liked.

Iliya looked to the table separating he, his daughter, and his former commander. "It was during the war, just after we had met. At that time, everyone thought that magic was as it was and to be used. However, what we didn't know was that unrefined magic, though very helpful to the Healer's Caste, was extremely dangerous. It was only after the war did news of refining techniques came to be. When the disease is contracted, it spreads slowly and silently. It doesn't begin to show itself until after the infected separate themselves from the consistent exposure to magic."

There was still something that didn't quite fit as Ky asked, "So, she started to show signs of it when the war ended."

Iliya nodded as Dizzy looked to floor in sorrow. "Yes. About a year and a half afterwards, she started to lose the ability to walk. It steadily got worse until she could barely stand."

Dizzy's eyes widened as she asked, "Wait... then how come she seemed to healthy to me when I was here?"

Iliya turned to her and replied, "I don't know... yet, it seemed miraculous. One week after you arrived, she seemed healthier. A month after that, she was walking under her own power."

The atmosphere in the room had lightened a bit, all things considered, and Iliya offered, "Luveria... would you like to see your room? We haven't changed anything. Just in case you came back when we didn't know it."

The smile returned to Dizzy face as she nodded, stood up and walked out to the hallway leading to the rooms at the other end of the house.

Amid the reunion, Ky still felt there was something missing. And with Dizzy gone, he asked quickly and quietly, "Do you suppose it has something to do with her blood and the fact that she's part Gear? Do you think that may have had something to do with her recovery?"

Iliya turned back to Ky and with a bit of reproach in his voice, answered, "Yes. And I can tell what you're going to ask next, Sir Kiske. Since the day she came into mine and Velija's care, we knew she was a Gear. No, a half-Gear. It didn't matter what part of her was a Gear, she is still our daughter."

Ky didn't back down as he pressed. "In spite of the persecution you had to endure?"

A frown appeared on Iliya's aged face. "Yes. I would have fought the entire town to protect her, even with the faulty Earth Seal."

"Speaking of which..."

"It's still here. The UN had no desire to retrieve a broken weapon."

Putting that particular matter aside, Ky asked further, "I need to ask, what happened on the day Dizzy appeared?"

Iliya did not meet Ky's eyes for a moment. Yet, he relented and slowly started to reiterate the tale.

* * *

The snow was falling softly, but thankfully no wind to drive the temperature down further, and Iliya, lying in his bed next to his wife, watched the slowly lazily. The weather was pleasant, but it still could not ease the anxiety he felt concerning Velija. 

His rest was disturbed when he noticed a shadow moving from behind a few of the trees near his window. He couldn't make out exactly who it was, but he had a bad feeling about being watched during his slumber. He stood from his bed, and as quietly as he could, got himself dressed, and armed with his defective weapon.

His boots were the only source of noise in the vicinity as he moved over the cobblestone path and into the woods. The snow gradually clung to his coat and in spite of all his precaution, Iliya still felt like he was being watched. He held the Earth Seal at the ready as he started to march to the edge of the woods.

"Good evening, Sir Moroumetz," a voice from behind said calmly.

Surprised, Iliya whirled around was about to swing his hammer into whomever had surprised him, only to find himself paralyzed. It seemed his paranoia in the war had yet to truly vanish. In front of him, a man hunched over and hidden in a cloak with his face masked in shadow, said, "I apologize, Sir Moroumetz. Though, one would say that that is not the best way to treat a guest who bears gifts."

Iliya soon found himself able to move again, but his weapon had moved backwards and fell onto the ground. He stumbled back against a tree and tried to catch his breath, not knowing what it was to be like in the grip of whatever he had just experienced.

"Gifts?" Iliya managed, "What gifts? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The man in the cloak seemed solemn with a heavy air of sadness about him as he answered, "One could say that I was trying to prove my repentance before God." He reached into his voluminous cloak and pulled out what appeared to be a baby, wrapped in white and black blankets. The man held up the child in both arms and said to him, "This child is for you."

Iliya was at a loss for words at the man's words. He looked down to see the baby, probably a month old by the looks of it. With his own son lost a long time earlier, he would have lied if he had no desire to be a father again, even in his advancing years. The disturbance of their conversation caused the baby's eyes to flutter open and gentle red eyes looked up to Iliya. The baby started to coo and reach up to him, as though it recognized him as her parent.

Iliya nearly gasped at the sight. He had never seen a baby with red eyes before... No... it couldn't be.

The man in shadows nodded. "It is as you suspect. She is a Gear."

Iliya's eyes widened in shock and then back to the baby. How! How could there be a Gear that looked liked a human! For a moment, he looked beneath the baby's eyes to remember all the horrors he saw in the war. However, before the flashbacks got worse, the man placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let the fact she's a Gear prevent you from looking past the surface. She has the capacity to be just as human as anyone else. Moreso, in fact, than many will ever realize."

He looked to the baby again, finding his resolve weaken at the baby's cooing and attempt to reach him with her tiny hands. The greatest blow he had ever taken as a parent was when he had witnessed his only son dying a decade and a half earlier. And being as old as he was with his wife, they could not hope to have another child, nor would the U.N. let him adopt, due to his record on the battlefield. It was far too tempting for him to accept the baby, regardless of the fact her very existence was a contradiction in terms.

Giving in to his paternal instincts, he reached forward and gently took the baby in his arms. The baby smiled more as he carefully adjusted the infant in his arms. Soon, he couldn't help but smile back at the child, feeling much warmer on that cold winter evening. He looked up to the man that had given him the baby and asked,

Iliya looked back to the baby to the man and asked, "So, how exactly did she come to be?"

The man interrupted him, his voice becoming quiet again, "She is a child, born of dark and light. She is the hope of the world greater than even I could ever imagine."

He looked to the man once more and asked, "but why me?"

The man looked to the ground and said in a calm and quiet voice, "Why not? Besides, I know that you lost your own son in the war. Perhaps you can consider this the chance you never had."

Looking back to the infant, he allowed himself a smile for the first time in a long while. However, when he remembered Velija back home, he said to the man, "I thank you, but, I do not think I can take care of this child when my own wife is struggling to live."

The man remained unperturbed in his reply, "Are you so sure? Perhaps your wife would benefit from having her here more than you would think." Before Iliya could protest again, the man literally floated back into the dark shadows of the forest, leaving the perplexed Iliya alone with the newborn still giggling happily in his arms.

* * *

Ky looked to the ground in thought. There was no mistake. It was That Man that Sol continued to talk about. The very source of all the answers that everyone wanted. 

"It was him?" Dizzy said from the hallway. Both men turned to see the half-Gear with an almost spooked expression on her face.

"You met him? You met That Man?" Ky asked, almost desperate for confirmation.

She nodded. Before Ky could ask more, she quickly asked, "Mr. Kiske, dad... I know I just got back, but... can I take a walk outside? I won't go far and I won't be long? I just need to think about some things..."

Ky was about to deny her request, when he realized where exactly they were. If the Bureau and the Shadow Hearts were doing all they could to track them, then perhaps they would not have known their location for now. In addition, the pleading look in her eyes, along with the possibility that she deserved a chance to prove that she could take care of herself was needed. In addition, he doubted her father would take to him denying her that freedom very well. So, he relented and said, "Be careful. Come back at the first sign of trouble, alright?"

She smiled morosely as she answered, "I will and thank you."

They watched her exit the house and move on the goat paths through the grass that lead into town. In spite of all this, Ky still had his reservations about letting her go by herself, no matter how much of her power she had gotten under control. If the townspeople still remembered what she looked like, then there could be trouble. But he knew that she could change her hair color again, and though his worries eased a bit, he wouldn't feel safer until they left Porvoo.

He stood up from his seat and stood by the window, as Iliya watched him from behind. The older solider had wondered exactly how Kliff Undersn's heir had come to be the present guardian of his daughter, especially considering he was the one that found the young man when his home was destroyed in a raid by some of Testament's gears.

"So tell me," Iliya asked quietly, "Exactly what happened to bring Luveria into your care? Last time I checked, she was with some pirates."

Ky turned to the older soldier and said, "Quite a bit. To be honest." He knew there were some things he could not touch upon, like his involvement with the Shadow Hearts, the attack on the factory, and the fact that there was a large bounty on his head.

The thought that he was in his own personal war against an organization that kept vanishing was another thing that was better left silent. For all he knew, Iliya may as well thought that he was going crazy, like everyone else he worked with. To top it all off; he knew there was some bad blood between them.

During the war, everyone thought Iliya would be the next in line to take the reigns of command after Kliff had retired, but shocked everyone when he had chosen Ky instead. It was a great surprise, since everyone believed the more experienced Iliya Moroumetz had the ability to finally defeat Justice, despite not being as powerful as Kliff.

In fact, because Iliya hadn't done anything else to him was slightly surprising. They had not met or cooperated much before Rome and until then, their interaction was sporadic at best. It had only gotten worse when he had been promoted to the leadership of the Holy Order. Many of his compatriots had treated him coldly and he knew why. Among those, was Iliya, but he simply kept quite and did his job without giving much consideration to Ky's opinion when it came to battle.

"Is there something you wish to ask, Sir Kiske?" Iliya asked cordially. A quick glance to Iliya's aging features suggested the man was more interested in either returning to sleep or getting the truth, as opposed to opening old wounds, as Ky had supposed.

Ky quickly shook his head and then replied, "If anything, I should have asked you that. It seems like you would like to know a bit about what happened after Luveria left here."

The aging soldier nodded. "Yes. Though, I suppose I could hear everything from her, but it would be best to wait for her to tell me. Please, tell me what happened when she came into your care."

"Very well," Ky answered as he began to slowly reiterate the tale of when Sol brought Dizzy to his doorstep almost three months ago.

So immersed was Ky in the tale, wondering if he should relate the incident when he had nearly killed Luveria due to a freak accident, that he failed to notice a pair of color switching eyes were watching him and Iliya through the window.

* * *

The town appeared to remain as it was since the time she had left it. There was still the bakery on the other side of the fountain and herbalist right next to it. Dizzy noted, it a bit of nostalgia, that she enjoyed being there when she played with the other kids nearby. 

The central square was barren, all the shops were closed, and the broken fountain in the center of the town still had more vines encircling it. She remembered the first and only town meeting she had attended where several people considered getting that old thing fixed, but it didn't lead anywhere. It looked like it still didn't amount to anything. She ran her hand on the edge of the fountain, over the dried vines and the still vibrant ones as she took a seat.

Looking from each individual house and to the moon, she wondered if she would ever be welcome here again. She had been gone a while, and if the people had a chance to leave her parents alone, maybe they would have just let it go. However, the voice of that spectre that continued to haunt her spoke otherwise. And she had a hard time trying to deny it.

"Luvie? Is that you?" a boy's voice asked her, using a nickname she had received in her infancy.

She looked up and discovered to her surprise, Olaf, the boy that had invited her to play so often when she was younger was the one that had asked her. He was the first friend she had made when she first starting to interact with the other children and didn't really notice her rapid growth until her mother had forcefully prevented him from playing with her.

She took a quick look at the thirteen year old boy, with a bag hoisted over his shoulder filled with books, and said with a smile, "Yeah, Olaf. It's me."

Olaf blinked once and rubbed his eyes. "Wow… you got big really fast." It almost appeared that the fact she was a Gear never registered.

She clasped her hands together and said with a bit of melancholy, "Yes. Didn't your mom tell you? I'm a Gear." She didn't even realize that she was telling him all this with such nonchalance. When the words escaped her mouth, she quickly covered her mouth and looked to him, practically expecting the backlash.

Instead, Olaf shrugged. "My mom didn't tell me anything. All she said was to stay away from you. She never said anything about Gears."

Surprised at the casual response, she pressed, "Doesn't it bother you that I'm a Gear?"

Olaf shook his head and asked, "You're still Luvie, aren't you?"

The question took her completely off-guard. She knew she was Luveria Mouroumetz, and even Dizzy, the Jellyfish Pirate. But, for a moment, perhaps she didn't really think about acting like the person she wanted to be. Ever since she realized that people feared her, a nagging feeling kept her at odds with those around her. In retrospect, it all seemed so absurd.

Looking back to him, she smiled and said, "Yes, I am. Thanks, Olaf."

Her smile caused the young man to blush a bit and he suddenly found eye contact a bit more difficult. Knowing what the cause of it, she knelt in front of him, wrapped her arms around his smaller shoulders, and kissed his cheek. It seemed that as long as there were people like Olaf around, perhaps she'd still have a chance to come back.

Olaf's face was starting to appear more like a tomato as he tried to formulate a response. His speech quickly came to a stutter and had a hard time trying to keep himself upright. Dizzy settled him with her hands on his shoulders and said, "Thanks again, Olaf. I don't want to, but I have to leave again. It was kind of an accident that I came back, so I need to leave soon."

The announcement made the boy break out of his reverie as he asked, "You're leaving again?" She nodded. His initial elation at seeing her back evaporated as he questioned, "Are you ever going to come back?"

She stood up and said with a smile, "Yes. I want to come back. It's too hard now, but I know I can come back someday. I'll just have to wait for it."

As she started walking back to her father's house, Olaf said after her, "Make sure to visit us, ok?"

She turned, smiled again and nodded. "I will. You can count on it. I'm looking for some friends of mine and if I find them, I'll bring them here. You'll like them."

He smiled back and nodded. Turning back to his home, he scampered off as fast as his little legs could carry him, evidently more jubilant than before.

"It's a fool's dream, you realize," the bitter voice of the ghost muttered appearing out of the shadows. "They will never accept you as one of their own."

Dizzy turned to the red-haired apparition and frowned. "You never give up, do you?" Dizzy said with clear agitation in her voice.

"Only because you're too blind to see the truth," the other woman said evenly.

As tempting as it was to yell at the illusion, Dizzy stood her ground and said with a tone of finality, "It doesn't matter what you think. I am not listening to you, I will not listen to you, and unless you stop, I will find a way to stop you. I will not let you harm my friends."

For a tense moment, Dizzy locked eyes with the image with complete defiance. She would not give in to whatever her opponent had in mind and would keep fighting against her.

The other woman's eyes narrowed and she whispered in a cryptic tone, "unfortunate... because that will be the last mistake you will ever make." With that, the image slowly vanished piece by piece into the darkness. The way it vanished was longer than before and despite the nagging feeling Dizzy had, she breathed a sigh of relief that it was gone at last.

Immediately, her ears picked up the sounds of struggle. Some glass being broken, tree bark crushed, heavy breathing of familiar voices. She turned to the source of the sounds, noting with great apprehension that it was coming from her father's house.

Utilizing her levitation, not caring if anyone saw her or now, she propelled herself forward as fast as her power could. In her stomach, a fear started to grow quickly. She couldn't quite explain it, but a danger was threatening her father and Sir Kiske. Worse yet, it was a danger that seemed quite familiar.

* * *

Ky struggled to keep his balance as he and Iliya were ambushed by a sonic boom that literally blew in the glass windows of Iliya's home. From almost nowhere, the familiar woman, dressed in red with the guitar had attacked them both. Very little of Iliya's possessions and home were spared as they tried to drive the attacker back. 

During every other swing, I-No would giggle and ask a single question before attacking again. "Where is she?" Ky had a feeling she was referring to Dizzy and since he and Iliya had no inclination to tell her, she only resumed and doubled the intensity of her rampage.

Ky had met this mentally unstable woman in the past, somewhere... he couldn't recall. But he knew this woman. It held a significance that he could not put his finger upon. It was almost as if his life had depended upon this woman. Yet, that did not justify her attacking them in search of Dizzy for whatever reason she had.

With the Thunder Seal raised, he charged in attempt to draw her out with a faint, failed as she pushed him back as she struck a very dissonant chord. The sound was literally pain in his ears as he tried to shut the sound out. For reasons he couldn't fathom, he felt his legs failing him and his body becoming immobile. It seemed that I-No held a power that he couldn't compete with now, but he couldn't simply lie down and let her do as he pleased. Both he and Iliya would not let her try to attack Dizzy, which is what it seemed she wanted to do.

"What do you intend to do with her?" Iliya, armed with the Earth Seal growled as he wound up his torso to meet another charge. I-No only snickered and at the last second, dodged the head of the hammer, thrust her knee into his stomach, backhanded him in the face with her free hand, and with her other hand, swung the flat end of her guitar against the old soldier. Iliya, not as strong as he used to be, lost his grip on his weapon and tumbled along the ground. After a few rolls, he came to a stop against the skeleton of his ruined house. Struggling to remain conscious, he looked up to see their assailant take advantage of his prone position to kick him once in his exposed stomach, and then again in his face.

"Shut up, gramps. If you won't tell me where she is, then I guess there's no reason for me to not whack ya," I-No said, rising her guitar like an executioner's axe. She would have brought the guitar down, but she was interrupted when a fist plowed into her cheek and literally tossed her off her feet and into a nearby tree.

Being caught by surprise, she shook her head to get her focus back. When her eyesight returned, she was greeted with the sight of Dizzy towering over her. The half-Gear was shaking, taking loud and deep breaths like an enraged animal, her fists were clenched to the point of nearly drawing blood, her jaw was clenched, her eyes literally shone in the dark like burning coals, and a very familiar insignia burned on her forehead.

For all the horrors and disasters I-no had witnessed, very little surprised or worried her. She had faced Dizzy in the past and though she had lost, it was just another encounter she had shrugged off. She craved the pain and fear of those she had terrorized and would only seek more of it. Normally, she feared no one, but this was an exception.

I-no was scared.

End of Chapter 13

Notes:

I'm not dead, yet! I have this story planned out and I have no intention of stopping now! I just need a little break every now and then thanks to the thing that we call, uh, 'real life'.

Much of this chapter didn't require as much thought as did previous chapters because this is simply the set-up chapter for the quote, 'MAJOR PLOT POINT' un-quote. I mean, just the day before, I didn't plan on bringing Olaf back for a cameo the way I did. Also, the name 'Magica Toxica' was made up by Samuraiter, since he knows latin and I don't. Kudos to him. Most of the fore-thought came from the ending and the subsequent chapter. But, in spite of the brief hiatus I need to take to write a one-shot I was challenged by Samuraiter, I do believe the next chapter will not take four months to write. I promise. :p

All things Guilty Gear unless otherwise indicated, belongs to Daisuke Ishiwatari.


	15. Awakening

In the back of Dizzy's mind, something she would consider a flame burned. She couldn't think of any better way to describe it, but it was hot and violent. And every time she saw something akin to seeing her friends and family threatened, it would grow to proportions that many, herself included, would consider dangerous. However, she didn't care what people thought regarding this, because she would not stand to see those she cared for abused for any reason whatsoever.

The first time she felt this flame rage was when her father had stood against the people of Porvoo-3. They were threatening her father just so they could get to her. She didn't care about the fact they were scared of her, but when they stepped forward to lay their hands on Iliya, she was ready to burst into the melee and hurt anyone that even thought about hurting him.

The second time she felt this was when May and the other Jellyfish pirates were attacked by the musician in red. She didn't know the woman's name, but seeing her do damage to the ship, attack her, and continue to attack the other pirates, made that heat return in force.

The single connection between the two events was that the flame never died down. It was through her intense desire to not hurt anyone that kept the fire in check. It was always in the shadows of her consciousness, forever dancing in the shadows, knowing it's affinity for violence would haunt her at times.

Now, one memory continued to replay in her mind, and it was a dangerously volatile splash of gasoline on an already malignant fire. The vision of seeing her father in pain. Writing on the ground, clutching his sides in agony, his face a mask of torture, and worst of all, the image of the red musician reveling in the misery she caused.

The flame had taken this and before Dizzy could even think about holding it back, all thoughts became centered on doing serious harm to the woman in red. Her fists quickly clenched to nearly draw blood, she increased her speed, drew her fist back, and before I-no could do any further harm to her father, struck with such ferocity that had she been in her right mind, she would have discovered a horrifying fact concerning what she had just done.

She secretly enjoyed it.

The flame within had spread and all thoughts of mercy had been enveloped in the fires of her anger.

"How..." Dizzy tried to say, but all the magic flowing in and around her, along with the difficulty she had breathing, prevented her from maintaining her coherence, "...how... how dare... you!"

Below, I-no kept her grip on her guitar strong, knowing that she was in for the fight she wanted. However, she was beginning to consider that she had pushed the half-Gear too far in her search for the pain and instead, found the rage.

With a quick roll and hope backward, I-no got to her feet and stood as tall as she could, ignoring the thunder from the clouds above. "It's easy..." I-no said, regaining her confidence, "Because I can. It don't matter to me, much."

The words had their desired affect on Dizzy, as the snarl on the half-Gear's face returned in force and she immediately charged with her fists ready to deal the same attack she had done previously. Seeing an opening, I-no dodged Dizzy's attack and using the back of her guitar, struck Dizzy in the back as though she were a baseball. In addition to her own momentum, Dizzy flew against her will and into the surrounding woods. Wanting to keep her edge, I-no charged forward after her prey, only to be sent back by an equally powerful attack and back into the clearing in front of Iliya's ruined home.

Amid staggering, I-no saw Dizzy raise her right arm and the instant she noticed its size and shape changing and growing exponentially, she dove out of the way of Dizzy's Michel Sword, before it smashed into the ground, leaving a noticeable hole.

"You..." Dizzy roared as she brought her new weapon to bear. Losing control, Dizzy advanced again, with the attitude of a angered beast, "YOU... YOU HURT MY DADDY!" She raised her sword again and, with greater speed, swung to drive I-no into the ground once more, but it only made another large crater as the fight continued.

Still determined, Dizzy continued to swing the misshapen and almost cumbersome sword that composed her arm. With a beast-like grunt, Dizzy swung the sword several times, only to hit air as I-no continued to dodge with the grace of a gymnast until another swung cut through a tree I-no had hoped to use to stick the sword in for a clean counter, but nothing doing.

Both jumped out of the way as the tree fell with a loud crash and sent leaves, branches, and birds every which way for cover. Leaping through the foliage, Dizzy was able to take advantage of I-no's lack of visibility to hit her once more, twice as hard as last time. Once more, I-no was sent barreling into a tree, but was able to land on her feet, and propel herself forward with a snarl of her own.

* * *

"No! This isn't right! It's too soon!" Undine cried in a panic. 

"I concur. Something is happening beyond what was supposed to," Necro added apprehensively.

Both of Dizzy's guardians had noticed the aggression coming from her and as they were now, they could do nothing but fight, though they were not so much inclined as Dizzy now was.

"Do you suppose it has anything to do with..." Undine trailed off, hoping Necro understood.

"Perhaps, but like you said, it's too soon. The conditions are not what were supposed to be."

Suddenly, from the darkness of Dizzy's subconsciousness, a third voice appeared and said ominously, "that's because neither of you were meant to think outside your original programming, but now that I'm here, your existence is no longer required."

Both Undine and Necro would have paled had they the skin to do so.

They knew who this was as the third mind smothered them both into submission.

* * *

In an instant, Dizzy's pupils thinned dramatically and with a newly released killer instinct, she feigned a swing, which I-no bought into, and used the blunt side of her Michel Sword to strike her foe as though she were wielding a club. 

She would have pressed her advantage, but a searing pain in her head stopped all momentum as she screamed in agony. The half-Gear fell to her knees and rolled on the ground, clutching her temples to somehow contain the horrible thumping going on inside. It turned out to be a mistake as I-no charged, swung her guitar into Dizzy's stomach and sent her into the closest tree in the same manner she was sent.

Rolling along the ground, Dizzy's cry of anguish grew silent as she attempted to stand, but was thwarted by a knee in the face from I-no. Falling back and unceremoniously onto the ground, the half-Gear tried to get to her feet once more. A sickening crack forced her back to the ground as her foe's guitar smashed into her back. Even with the pain, she still forced it out of the way, ignoring the splitting pain in the small of her spine.

"Persistent little bitch, aren't we?" I-no spat with contempt, "and here I thought you were going be fun." She had expected the supposed 'Hope of the World' to be made of stronger stuff. It seemed she had judged wrong. Growing bored with Dizzy's lack of reaction, I-no raised her guitar again to beat her into submission.

Before she could bring down her ax, yet again, she was interrupted, only this time, in a burst of speed, Dizzy's hand clasped over I-no's wrist with a grip strong enough to crack bone. In such close proximity, I-no now found herself paralyzed with the sheer weight of all the magic flowing through and around Dizzy's body. In contrast, a fierce wind started to blow around them, almost creating a miniature tornado as Dizzy, still holding her grip on I-no, stood to a hunched position.

When Dizzy finally laid eyes upon her foe, her right arm change back to its original form, and she clenched her fist, grasping a great deal of magic with it.

From an outsider's perspective, time seemed to slow down considerably as Dizzy drew back her fist. Yet, the decreased speed did not deter the sheer power behind the blow as the half-Gear aimed her blow right at I-no face. I-no could do nothing as she was struck with enough force to knock a normal person's head off, but instead simply sent her headlong into one of the few remaining walls of Iliya's house.

The contact left a visible stain of blood as I-no slid down to the ground in a stupor, until she was interrupted by another punch from Dizzy. From there, a series of ear-sickening blows from Dizzy started to send blood around the surrounding rocks and ground.

Nearby, Ky and Iliya were struck numb at horror as to what she had become. In the back of Ky's mind, he had a feeling something like this was going to happen, and with great difficulty, he reached for his sword and attempted to fight the numbing after effects of I-no's previous attack.

"Kiske, what are doing?" Iliya asked, fearing he already know the answer.

Ky clenched his teeth as small spikes of pain assaulted his nerves amid his answer. "I know what you're going to say, Sir Iliya, but in case you haven't noticed... whoever your daughter or my charge is, this isn't her. This is someone else."

Not convinced that what Ky was planning was for the best, Iliya turned to Dizzy and yelled, "Luveria! Stop!"

Nearby, Dizzy heard Iliya's voice and noticed Ky's attempt to stand out of the corner of her eye. She turned to both of them and roared with an unearthly voice, "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" From Ky and Iliya's perspective, it was evident she had changed. The symbol on her forehead had grown to encompass her brow and her eyes were blaring a brilliant gold. Immediately, both men felt a powerful shockwave which silenced both of them and forced Ky back to his knees.

The distraction was too long for Dizzy, for when she turned to continue her assault, I-no's fist had connected with her stomach, followed by a vicious knee to the face, and a kick to Dizzy's exposed torso.

Breathing heavily, I-no staggered forward, wiped off some blood on her face, spat out a dislodged tooth, and picked up her guitar. With a hateful glare in Dizzy's direction, I-no snarled as two white spherical objects materialized from nowhere, "Alright, you little cunt, fun time's over. Time to die, bitch!"

Ky gaped, immediately recognizing what I-no was about to do. It wasn't a clear memory, per se, but a sense of dread leading to the last impression he had of this woman, which led to a lost fight. Somehow fighting through the paralysis Dizzy had somehow placed him in, he stood to see Dizzy drawing out both of her wings from the already torn shirt she was wearing.

His shock turned to confusion when Undine emerged as I-no was about to let loose her attack. However, there was something wrong. Usually, when one or two of the guardians emerged, they appeared as almost separate entities that worked in harmony with Dizzy. Now, it appeared that Undine was forced to emerge and subsequently, the icy guardian leaned back, taking in a large breath, as the musician's attack drew near.

When Undine leaned forward, she opened her mouth and let loose a scream so shrill that Ky, I-no, and Iliya arbitrarily covered their ears. The pain of Undine's cry was so piercing that Ky was having difficulty trying to concentrate on what was going on in front of him.

What only Dizzy and I-no saw was the power of the latter's Pandemonium was utterly annihilated and created a forced feedback loop so intense that I-no's face was locked in a mask of horror when she found her precious guitar shattered. She didn't have much time to lament, for Dizzy had quickly closed the gap between them and enclosed both of her hands around I-no's neck. Struggle as she might, I-no found Dizzy's grip impossible to break as she was lifted off the ground as though she were a tenth of her weight.

Nearby, Ky, finally finding himself free of the restrictive power, turned to see Undine, still emerged from Dizzy's back. However, the guardian was literally hanging upside down, lying on the ground, her eyes wavering between sleep and consciousness, veins clearly visible around her eyes, and her hand, reaching for Ky.

"...help... us..." Undine croaked weakly, what little light in her eyes pleading for assistance, "...help... us!"

Ky was suddenly at a loss. Could it be that there was something going on that not even Dizzy's guardians could handle? A stomach churning snap brought his attention to see I-no's body slowly go limp in Dizzy's grip as a result of a broken neck. His mouth now hung open at what he just witnessed. Dizzy just killed someone. His surprise increased when he began to hear a deep throated chuckle emanating from his charge.

"So ... much... power!" Dizzy said with a voice not her own as she tossed aside I-no's lifeless corpse. Not noticing Ky at her back, she looked at her hands, causing magic to appear with complete ease. "Its potential is greater than I thought, regardless of how fragile it is."

Dizzy's voice now sounded very familiar to Ky's ears. It seemed distorted to a point that it narrowed the possibilities down to a single individual. His suspicions where confirmed when Dizzy had turned towards him with a vicious smirk.

"It's been too long, Kiske," the changed Dizzy said with a hint of malice

Dizzy's eyes gleamed a familiar gold and the iris were thin like a demon emerging from the depth of Hell itself.

Ky's grip on his sword tightened as he uttered a name he never hoped to say again in such context. "...Justice."

Drawing Undine back into her wing-shaped form, Justice, now in control of Dizzy's body, wiped off the blood from her lip and cheek, almost unconcerned of Ky's presence.

"It's a basic tactic, Kiske," Justice said, wiping her hands of the blood, "a month of contingency is worth more than a year of retaliation. I held the key to winning the war from the beginning in my womb, yet I would never waste it unless I lost."

So it was true, Ky thought as he tried to settle the steady and powerful thumping of his heart. Dizzy was in fact Justice's offspring. Even in hindsight, it was hard to decide what exactly to do.

Ky was hesitant as to how to proceed, but felt the need to hide his apprehension was more important. A part of him was screaming that Luveria Moroumetz, the person that had shown him she was more than his prejudice said, was still in there somewhere. However, the greater problem lay in the effect that he could probably do nothing to bring her out and Justice, in possession of such power, was a danger too great to let go... let alone let live.

"You... you monster! What did you do to Luveria?" Iliya, now free of his paralysis said hefting his own weapon in a fighting stance, in a similar quandary as Ky.

Justice turned a condescending eye towards Iliya and said with a frown, "disposing of unnecessary interferences. The fact this body developed a personality of its own was a complete fluke."

Both men suddenly developed an intense hatred of the woman in front of them. Iliya for talking so lightly about the child he had raised as his own and Ky for using Dizzy as though she were simply a commodity.

Sensing their instinct rise to the surface, Justice smirked and spread her wings, preparing her own self for battle, said, "If it puts your hearts at ease, she didn't suffer as she was wiped away."

Iliya roared in response and with a speed that belied his age, swung the head of his hammer towards Justice. The revived Commander Gear casually fell backward and rolled away while avoiding several stabs from the Thunder Seal. When it seemed a single thrust was about to hit, she kicked the tip of the blade up, throwing Ky off balance, only to allow him to see her tail open its gargantuan maw, grasp Ky's torso and throw him towards Iliya. Both Holy Order knights collapsed in a heap as they quickly rolled to their feet. Ky noticed the wild look in Iliya's eyes and figured the faulty Earth Seal was taking control of him again as the older knight charged with another blood thirsty howl.

Figuring it would be best to wait until they defeated Justice to calm the old knight down, Ky circled around his ally and opponent, hoping to get a shot from behind. However, his plans were rendered useless as Justice, knocking down Iliya by using his own momentum against him, closed the gap between them too quickly and backhanded him mercilessly to the ground.

"You and the Berserker have slowed down, Kiske. I'm disappointed," Justice said, hovering over him with a frown.

"You're in no position to say such things, Justice," Ky spat back as he stood and readied himself to charge once more.

"Very well then," Justice uttered as she landed on the ground and extended her hand. In her palm, a flash of light appeared and a small bar of what appeared to be magic coalesced into what looked like a smaller version of her Michael Sword, "prove me wrong."

Obliging, Ky charged and within seconds, all the fighting and striving for survival during the Crusades returned in force. His body was practically aglow with the power of the lightning element as both he and the Thunder Seal's strength as it recognized its most powerful enemy. Even Justice found herself surprised to find that Ky's strength had not diminished since the end of the war.

During a stand still between the two blades, both Ky and Justice pushed against the other with all their might. Even Ky could tell that Justice was sweating and had figured she had underestimated him... again.

"I don't understand..." Justice hissed, "I did all I could do kill you... and you were never Kliff."

On the other side, Ky understood to a degree what Justice spoke of. "I don't understand either... but for whatever reason my life was spared it was to defeat you. Even if I fell, there'd be another that'd take my place. We defeated you once, we can do it again!" Ky cried with righteous fury as he pushed the commander Gear backward, broke the stalemate, and using Justice's lack of balance, Ky drew the Thunder Seal back to unleash the Rising Force.

When all the power of that piece of the Outrage flew forth, he hit nothing and soon felt Justice's steaming breath on his neck, whispering with obvious hate, "You give your race too much credit." Ky's body soon became a light with agony as Justice swiped the magic-essence sword through his body, sending an immense shock though his nervous system.

Ky tried to get his body to move, but as soon as he tried to lift his arms, he suddenly felt a sensation very similar to when he was arguing with Haan at the ruins of the Robo-ky factory. The difference was that it was much more powerful.

"It's one of the more impressive abilities this body was born with. Having the command function over both Gear and human. It will take some time, but in the end, your kind will become no different than the hordes of Gears I once commanded," Justice chuckled confidently.

Noticing movement to her right, she utilized the same ability against a charging Iliya, causing the older soldier to falter to his knees and clutch his chest as though Justice had grabbed his heart through his flesh and bone.

"You're strong, Berserker, but age has killed you. Though, I must thank you for being so protective of my new shell. I never would have survived without you," Justice added sarcastically. "As my way of showing mercy, I'll let you live to see what will become of your people." With another though, Iliya lost all control over his legs and he collapsed.

In spite of the immense weight on his body, Ky still had the strength to say, "You? Show mercy? I must be going mad!"

What Ky did not see was the snarl that appeared on Justice's face as she landed beside Ky, shoved her knee into his kidney, grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanked his head back, and hissed in his ear, "Oh no, Kiske, I was the one that nearly went mad after living in that coffin you and the Order sealed me in! I have no intention of showing you any mercy."

She hefted him up and roughly pushed him against the nearest tree, making full eye contact between full and almost rabid breaths. "I won't kill you. No, Kiske. That would be too simple and too quick," her eyes twitched in rememberance of her prison as she continued, "I'm going to break you. Tear down everything that you are until you're no different than the drones that blindly gave their lives to me when the Crusades started."

Staring into the face of his possible doom, Ky had no intention of showing any fear, in spite of the present odds. "You can try," Ky retorted with all his courage.

Expecting him to prod her on, Justice smiled and whispered ominously, "Indeed, I will." Initially, Ky grew confused when Justice did nothing but stare at him in the eye, but when he felt something amiss he realized too late what Justice was doing. The commander Gear, with her ability to control humans, was entering his mind.

Ky tried to struggle as he felt the violating presence of Justice's mind tear through what few mental barriers he could erect before any damage could be done, but it was too late. The horrid sensation of being mentally violated continued as though it were an eternity as the commander Gear went through his earliest memories, dreams, and emotion.

Above him, Justice gasped as the sudden influx of information flooded her senses, not expecting there to be so much in one human whose lifespan was only a quarter of her own. Yet, she consumed it vivaciously as Ky writhed in pain under her power. The evolved Gear insignia on her brow glowed brighter with all the new information it was witnessing in Ky's mind, adding what it could to Justice's already vast intellect. Much like a predator, Justice fed off of Ky's agony and resistence, her presence growing stronger the harder he struggled. To the revived Commander Gear, it was exhilerating.

Breathing as though she was physically exhausted, she reached up with one hand and traced her index finger along Ky's jawline, whispering, "This is just the beginning, Kiske... the rest of your days will be like this... so, I hope to see you resist as much as you can."

Ky glared back with hateful eyes and a clenched jaw. If he hated Justice for killing more humans than could be counted, then, he truly hated her for what she had just done to him. There were thoughts and memories he wanted kept buried and when Justice had pulled them to the surface, the hardest one, being the last day he saw his mother, caused a hatred so pure of Justice that he ignored the moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes and thought only of murdering the woman in front of him.

Getting the reaction she wanted, Justice leaned forward and whispered in his ear, seductively, "Yes, Kiske. Hate me, loathe me. Kill me with every thought you have. Make your every living, breathing moment a testament of your hopes to end my life." She pulled back and continued, "Today is the beginning of the end for humanity and all your think of is revenge. If I were human, I would find this most amusing."

She was about to leave, forcing Ky's body to move against his will to follow her, she felt a hand clasp around her ankle. She looked down to see Iliya, still moving, covered in sweat and dirt, growling hoarsely, "I won't let you do this!"

Disgusted at Iliya's resilience, she ordered her darker wing to emerge and a bulge began to swell. "Don't worry, old one. Your agony will be horrible, but it will be brief." The bulge burst and a dragon's head appeared, its mouth aglow with animus, ready to fire its Gamma Ray at the helpless Iliya.

The old soldier, knowing his end was near, closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable death he had avoided for over fifty years. The burst of sound did come, but when he did not expect was to feel nothing. Opening his eyes he saw the steaming hole near him, and noticed the shot had propelled Justice a short distance from him.

It also appeared that Justice herself was in shock, believing to have full control over Dizzy's body, she was sure nothing would have happened. But at the last second, the head adjusted its aim and with nothing to hit, propelled her away several feet. Then, the headache came and Justice screamed as a red aura started to gather around her, in a manner very similar to Dizzy's previous behavior.

Between breaths, she shouted, but this time it was Dizzy's voice that came out as her eyes glowed a piercing red, "I won't let you harm them!"

Immediately, a gold aura also appeared to fight the red one as Justice spasmed and staggered this way and that.

"No! This was not meant to happen!" Justice's voice roared through the wind that gathered. To both Ky and Iliya, it appeared that Dizzy was not erased according to Justice's words. In fact, it appeared that she was fighting back, and with Justice's control broken over both men, Ky collapsed to the ground, trying to recover from the mental attack and Iliya attempting to make sense as to what was going on.

Once more Justice/Dizzy screamed as both auras attempted to dominate the other, but could find no clear victor. Hunched over once more, Dizzy's wings suddenly grew to three times their normal size and when the auras had reached a visible threshold, an explosion racked the nearby ground, separating Dizzy from her wings.

Necro and Undine landed unceremoniously on the ground and Dizzy, without having her guardians, started to scream again. More magic appeared around her, but this time, without any control whatsoever, Dizzy dug her hands into the ground, and using the magic she had gathered, bolted off into the forest, leaving a flaming haze in her wake.

Pushing himself to his feet, Ky staggered towards the guardians, knowing he was in no condition to chase after Dizzy. The mind rape he had just endured made concentration difficult and even standing up was an ordeal by itself. Looking at the seperated guardians, he was certain the two had an idea as to what was going on and hoped they would at least tell him, since he wasn't sure how deeply they trusted those outside their inner circle. Since the hate for Justice had yet to die down completely, whatever had caused this seperation was a preferrable outcome and he was in no real position to show mercy to Justice, regardless of whom she hid behind.

"Undine." Ky said, trying to pull the blue-skinned woman to a sitting position. She appeared to be normal, all things considered, and she was not in the same painful position she was when Justice had usurped Dizzy's body. "Are you alright?"

Clearly winded, Undine looked up to the Holy Knight and nodded wearily. It was taxing just to be controlled by Justice, and to witness the nightmare unfolding was something she did not wish to do..

"Necro..." Undine said, noting the struggling darker wing, trying to crawl to them both, "there's been a discrepancy!"

"I know..." Necro added amid struggling for breath and collapsing beside Ky, "we have to reconnect at once!"

Not liking being out of the loop, Ky spoke up louder than he should have, ""Wait! Wait! What's going on? What discrepancy?"

Necro and Undine looked to him and then to each other, nodding once. Undine then spoke up as she sat beside Ky, "Very well. We shall tell you." In response, both guardians reached around Ky and before he could ask what they were doing, they each pressed a palm to his shoulder blades.

Through their hands, needle thin tendrils pierced the cloth of his jacket and shirt, through his skin and bone and quickly traveled throughout his body. Ky screamed as he felt his body being invaded by an unknown entity again, yet could do nothing as both of the winged guardians slowly melded themselves to his back. Soon, they reshaped themselves back into wings, now hanging from Ky's back, and soon, he could feel their presence inside his head. However, in spite of the pain, he soon felt calm and his heart beat returning to normal.

"Temporary grafting complete," Necro's brooding voice muttered.

"Mental damage repaired and defragmentation complete," Undine's voice added robotically.

Ky looked both ways at his back and nearly screamed at the sight of his back having the wings of a Gear attached to them. He was ready to reach around to pull them off when Undine's voice came suddenly at the back of his mind, "Please! Sir Kiske, hear us out! This was the only way we could properly explain things to you. But first, we have to follow Dizzy!"

Ky was unsure what to think. Right now, a part of Dizzy's body had grafted themselves onto him and was imploring him to follow Dizzy... Justice... or whatever that person was now.

"Sir Kiske, please! We have no time to lose!" Undine begged again. She was sounding more panicked and fearful than before. And if that was the case, perhaps her appeal had more weight than he was aware of.

"Very well," he said as calmly as he could, standing up. He ran over to Iliya, still dumbfounded and scared over what he had just witnessed, and said, "Sir Moroumetz, wait here, I'll bring her back."

Coming back to reality, Iliya turned to him and said, "Please, Sir Kiske. I don't care if Justice is in her, but I do know that Luveria's in there too. Please... bring her back alive."

Ky then realized that Iliya wasn't speaking as a soldier, but as a father. Though it was true that Justice had taken over and had nearly killed them both, his greater concern was for the child he had loved as though she were his own. He knew he could make no promises, but nodded nonetheless. He would do all he could do bring her back, for Iliya's sake.

Running to the place where she was last, Ky noticed a splotch of liquid that was darker than the grass under his feet. He reached down and touched it, noting its thick texture. He rubbed a bit on his index finger and smelled it and noticing the trail of it leading into the forest, his anxiety returned in force.

"She's bleeding to death..." Necro said, catching onto Ky's train of thought, "Hurry!"

Wasting no more time, Ky ran into the forest with renewed strength from the grafting, leaving Iliya alone with the remains of his house and the gathering storm clouds above.

* * *

Far ahead of Ky, Dizzy leaped through the woods at inhuman speeds, barely missing branches, brush, and smaller trees. More animal than human, she raced faster and faster on all fours as opposed to her feet. Her face was stuck in primal fear as she could barely control her speed, let alone her thoughts. All she knew was that she had to run. She didn't know where or how, but she had to go.

* * *

"Alright, now what's the meaning off this?" Ky growled mentally as he ran though the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. 

"Sir Kiske... it wasn't supposed to be this way..." Undine started helplessly.

"Really? Did Dizzy know? Did she have ANY idea she was the offspring of a murderer!" Ky snorted, still feeling the mental scars of Justice's torture.

"No... she knew nothing. She is innocent of anything that we were involved in," Necro said calmly.

"So, what were you involved in?" Ky pushed.

His question was met with silence as he knew he had found something he shouldn't have. Then, Necro spoke up.

"It was all part of Justice's plan..." Necro began.

"What are you doing?" Undine cried to her other half in shock, knowing he was usually the quieter of the two. For him to reveal anything seemed unbelievable.

"He deserves to know! Our lives depend upon it," Necro retorted quickly. Undine was silenced as Necro continued.

"It wasn't long after the formation of the Holy Order that Justice discovered that she had, in fact, a child in her womb. However, due to the pure saturation of magic in her body, the fetus was placed in a state of... suspended animation. Knowing the benefit of a possible hybrid, she attempted to cross breed humans and Gears. Every test failed. Next, she was able to extract samples from the fetus and discover that Dizzy would be the only true half-Human half-Gear capable of living.

"However, with every sample, Justice discovered a disconcerting fact. With the balanced genetic material, it was capable of utilizing magic on a scale so immense, that every sample ended up destroying itself from the overwhelming load."

Undine, now convinced that she too had information to reveal, stepped in. "This is where we came in. We are not simply guardians to protect Dizzy. We're also genetic inhibitors. We make sure Dizzy's growth and evolutionary cycle remains constant so her body can grow and adapt to the power she is meant to wield as Justice's new form."

Moving to avoid some of the thinner trees, Ky mentally replied, "So... now that you two are no longer... connected to Dizzy, that means she like a lake with a cracking dam."

Necro nodded mentally. "Precisely. Our purpose was to watch over and protect her until she reached the ideal age of maturation: Twenty-one years. Then, we would shut down, our purpose completed."

Wiping some sweat out of his eyes, Ky asked as he jumped over a fallen tree, noting the broken branches and blood spots nearby, "but something happened, right?"

Undine answered, "Yes. We were separated from Justice prematurely. Before we knew it, Dizzy had grown approximately six years per every solar revolution. Physically, she is past the maturation point. During her second year, we too emerged prematurely and developed our own intelligence."

Another question, leading to answer he wasn't sure he wanted to hear, came from Ky's mind, "So, instead of doing it as per your programming, you were doing it out of concern for Dizzy. Very much like parents..."

Necro answered almost morosely, "Correct."

Undine then spoke up, "But we couldn't go against our programming, despite our wishes to do so. That was why we could not help you when Justice took over. But now, it appears that the personality Dizzy had developed on her own has fought back, throwing everything out of synch. As relieved as we are that Dizzy still lives, we are worried."

Ky asked quickly, a fearful idea or two forming in his head concerning their current plight. "So, now that you two are separated from Dizzy, what's going to happen to us?"

Necro answered, "Nothing will happen to you, Sir Kiske, we made sure of that when we grafted ourselves onto your body. We fear for our own lives now becuase of our symbiotic relationship with Dizzy . If she dies, so do we. Aside from that, if we do no reconnect ourselves to Dizzy, one of two things could happen."

Growing more apprehensive by the minute, Ky asked, "And what would those be?"

"The more likely of the two would be her evolutionary cycle could spiral out of control and her power would literally tear her body apart," Undine said quaking.

Ky grew uneasy as he pressed, noticing Undine's omission, "and the other possibility?"

The feminine guardian added weakly, "the magic in her body could reach a magnetic saturation so powerful, that she would still tear herself apart from the amount of magic... but it would also set off a magical charge so powerful that all types of magic worldwide would be caught in a chain reaction which would leave the world completely barren and devoid of life."

End of chapter 15

Whew. Would you believe that I wrote 9 of the 12 pages of this monster in one day? No? Well, I don't believe it either, so let's move on.

Ok, for those of you out there who got bored wondering when something would actually happen... Ta daaa! Major Plot point, hooo!

Goodness gracious, so much to explain... so I won't and let you just enjoy this story or tear it to bits at your leisure. Remember, this story can only be made better with your help. So don't hold back, 'k? Oh and quite a bit of the ideas' construction goes to Samuraiter and Zeronova's input on certain aspects of this story. So, be dears and read their stories and leave long and tasty reviews for them too.

All things Guilty gear belongs to the lovable, hugable, Daisuke Ishiwatari.


	16. Summoning

Bruce Aymond's head hurt. A lot. It had come from nowhere and he was grateful that he was in his office when the pain had come. It was sudden, powerful, and he knew it wasn't anything physical. Something was wrong. Definitely wrong.

At his desk, he tried to force the pain out of his focus as he started typing keys to allow him a predetermined, and hidden, outside link to a particular line. It had never been used, so the usual searches the administrators did were not aware... he hoped. With the line open, he reached over to the phone, ignoring the horrible thumping in his skull, picked up the receiver, and dialed a number which was still as fresh in his mind as the day he first entered the PWAB as a spy.

He held his free hand to his temple as the ring tone continued to beep, waiting for a reply. "Come on..." he whispered to himself, knowing that his time was extremely limited. To his relief, the ringing stopped and the receiver on the other end went active.

"I know why you're calling, Bruce," a distinctly female voice said on the other side.

"So I'm not the only one," he said turning his gaze to the door.

"No. Everyone here felt it. Considering what may have happened, we're going to have to move the timetable up a bit," the woman's voice said calmly.

"Right. Did Kiske and Dizzy make it to New Helsinki?"

"No. And it looks like the ship they were on was hit by pirates. Judging from the reports, it looks like they jumped ship near Provoo-3. I need you to go there, and if they are still there, bring them to First Bethesda. The distraction you make in the PWAB should be enough for you to get them out sight."

Bruce smiled wryly as the pain vanished, "You realize the Shadow Hearts won't be too thrilled when they find out we have them... if we have them."

"Let them rave. After all, it's their fault... never mind, it's not important. Just see if you can find Kiske and or Dizzy and bring them here. We'll adjust the plans afterwards," she said, losing her calm momentarily.

"Right," he said as he hung up the receiver.

Opening up the lowest drawer in his desk, he quietly removed a screw and lifted up the panel to reveal a false bottom. Wrapped in a plastic sheet, a single disc sat alone. He quickly opened up the wrapping, and inserted the disc in the drive. Several keystrokes later, a screen showing the progress of an uploading program appeared and ran at a moderate pace. He quietly cursed the speed of his computer for not processing the 'parting gift' for his employers since they'd more likely than not be checking on him at any moment. Suddenly, the three words he had been waiting to read for the past six years appeared on the screen.

"PARASITE UPLOAD COMPLETE." the screen said in bold letters before going black.

With a self-satisfied smirk, he whispered to himself, "Time to go."

* * *

The thunder above roared viciously as Ky Kiske ran at a desperate pace through the forest. He could feel the rain begin to fall and knew it would only grow worse. Though he would still be able to follow an out-of-control Dizzy by the trail of broken branches, scorch marks on the ground, and the claw marks on the trees.

However, as grave as the possibility of an unattended Dizzy laying waste to the world was, his own problems were becoming more paramount.

A short while earlier, Dizzy, under the control of Justice, had mentally violated him. Though the fact that the wings upon his back had repaired some of the damage, he could not put it out of his mind so quickly. More than that; Justice had left something behind.

Inside the darker recesses of his mind, he heard Justice taunting him. Whispering the things he had left alone during this journey for the truth.

"You are not needed by them anymore."

"You have been tossed aside for soulless machines."

"You are not trusted."

"You are feared."

"You are alone."

It wasn't the distraction he was worried about. Every single one of the taunts Justice's shadow had left had a grain of truth to it. The fact that the Bureau had gotten as far as they did with the Robo Ky was proof he wasn't needed as much as when he was in the Crusades. His attempts to expose the Bureau had left him with fewer people willing to hear him.

...he was alone.

It was true he had something with Jam for a little while, but he had burned that bridge beyond repair. The Holy Order, with whom he had shared and endured so much with, was disbanded. Though he was still heralded as a hero, he was still without a war to lead people in. He was on a single man crusade against something far larger than him and even those who professed to be his allies were probably tenuous ones at best.

"Sir Kiske," Undine, the feminine guardian that had once been attached to Dizzy's back, and now on his, said, "I'm sensing another source of activity. There's something else in here, isn't there?."

Jumping over a fallen tree, Ky nodded between breaths. "Yes. I can hear Justice's voice."

There was a tense silence as Necro, the other wing upon Ky's back, murmured as he had overheard the conversation, "It's a parasite. The design, though simple, is potent enough to keep you debilitated, but alive."

"Can you get rid of it?" Ky asked as he pushed a branch out of his way.

"Not as we are. But if we can help Dizzy, then perhaps we may be able to remove it," Undine answered.

Ky was about to ask Undine further when a rustling from above caused him to stop in his tracks and jump backward as a human-sized shape landed suddenly, creating a crater in front of him. With his Thunderseal at the ready, Ky was about to charge when the dust and flame dissipated.

Hunched over further than before, Dizzy with her teeth bared and snarling, glared at him and clenched the rocks caught in her hands. The Gear insignia on her forehead had grown even further and was reaching down the sides of her neck. Her tail, waving wildly, had grown a sharp blade at the tip. Her eyes, still glaring red, held no human intelligence within, only a wild animal, clinging to its own survival.

"It looks like she hasn't reached the threshold just yet. We still have a chance!" Undine said quickly. Ky figured that if the Gear insignia was of any relevance to Dizzy's physical capacity of the magic she could wield, then if it continued to grow then things would get bad very quickly.

However, Dizzy, in her instinct based rage, only roared hoarsely, but still powerful enough to cause a shockwave of ventus to send Ky skidding backward. As the holy knight attempted to regain his balance, the wild half-Gear charged forward, wrapped her arms around herself, gathering a large amount of pulvus and estus around her torso. When she swung her arms open, a much less controlled version of Dizzy's Imperial Ray sped across the ground at breakneck speeds towards him.

Ky attempted to dive out of the way, but the sheer kinetic power of Dizzy's attack flung him back further and would have driven him into a tree if Necro hadn't emerged and used his axe to dig into another tree and swing them up to a branch.

Getting his bearings back, he looked down see Dizzy roaring at him again, only to turn around and speed off into the forest as the rain began to drop with greater intensity.

Not needing any further prodding from Necro or Undine, Ky leaped from the branch and onto the ground and gave chase once more, noting that the surroundings, though somewhat blurry because of the time and weather, were becoming quite familiar.

* * *

He could feel something very familiar, but at the same time, it was quite alien to him. From his makeshift home in the grove, Testament walked to the edge of the clearing, ignoring the steadily pouring rain upon his head.

Zio, the raven which accompanied him, squawked loudly and flew upwards in alarm. Noting the fear in the air, he drew out his scythe and marched slowly and cautiously to the disturbance's source. Thing had been very quiet in the grove for the past year and when something out of the ordinary happened, he was aware of it.

His hearing could pick up the breathing, the pace, and the immense amount of magic making more noise than he could ignore. It was closing in fast and it wasn't slowing down at all. He readied his weapon and was about to charge when he saw, through the rain, the frenzied Dizzy heading straight towards him.

Noting her changes, he was about to ask what had happened when she leapt into the air gathered a large amount of pulvis in her hands and threw it at him. He had the presence of mind to dodge to the left before it could hit him, but so bewildered he was at her aggression, that he didn't see her using the debris from her first attack to sneak up behind him.

When he turned, a stinging pain run through his nervous system as Dizzy stabbed him in the stomach. He was fortunate enough to move sideways, so that her hand tore into the left side of his abdomen, hitting nothing vital, but would still leave a sizable wound.

Taking the initiative, he grabbed her wrists with his own, hoping to restrain her as best he could. However, Dizzy proved to be far stronger than her lithe frame suggested and with her other hand, gathered a large amount of estus and slammed it into his chest, creating an explosion which sent them both backwards several meters.

Though wounded, Testament was able to keep his bearings and balance as he skidded to a halt. In front of him, Dizzy still growled from the bottom of her throat and was pacing around him on both hands and feet. The insignia on her forehead, grown to reach past her collarbone which was now exposed from the blast, did not escape his notice. The magic in her body had grown wild and there was no sign of her wings.

Dizzy's head whirled around, noting that another presence was nearby, and she darted off further northward. Testament, in no condition to pursue, looked to where Dizzy had glanced. Maybe someone else was also behind with the answered he needed about Dizzy's condition.

He tried to walk, but Dizzy's attack had given more damage than he estimated as he stumbled and fell to his knees. His wounds would heal eventually, but it would take time.

"Testament!" a familiar voice called to him through the rain.

He turned to see the familiar form of Ky Kiske, with the missing wings on his back, and with visible sign of conflict on his clothing. It appeared that much had happened since Dizzy had left the grove.

"Kiske, what's the meaning of this?" Testament said, ignoring the searing heat in his torso.

"It's a long story and there's no time to explain. Which way did Dizzy go?" Ky asked between breaths.

Testament, though distrustful of humanity as a whole, left an exception to his former adversary, knowing he was a just man. Their consistent meetings during the crusades had left a favorable impression of Ky, especially since his father, Kliff Undersn, had chosen him to lead the order when he had retired.

He inclined his head to the general direction of Dizzy's escape and wheezed, "She won't have much further to go before she reaches the cliffs further north. If you're fortunate, you'll be able to find her there."

Ky saw the bleeding wound and asked, "Will you be alright?"

The sub-commander Gear nodded, ignoring the gaping hole in his stomach, and replied as evenly as he could, "I'll live. If you know how to save Dizzy, then go, I'll follow you when I can."

The holy knight nodded again and took off after the wild Gear.

* * *

The weather had degraded to a torrential downpour as the thunder boomed overhead dangerously. Almost challenging any foolhardy soul to brave nature at its worst, the storm's strength only seemed to grow as the wind started to pick up. Through it, a single occupant dashed out of the forest hugging the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the ravine far below.

Much like a creature of instinct, Dizzy, still out of her mind, skid to a halt a few meters from the edge. She took several moments to find any kind of avenue of escape, but could find nothing. Knowing she could proceed no further, she whirled around, only to see Ky approaching from the forest. She dug her claws into the ground and snarled at him as he drew closer, noticing his exhaustion from chasing her and started to move slowly to the side, hoping either to find an opening to attack or escape.

Without her rational mind, she saw Ky as a predator. The stench of Gear blood still assaulted her sense of smell, even after all the years since the war had ended, she could feel the malignancy in his presence and she hated it. Hated him with it. However, she could do little since most of her strength was wasted trying to flee. She was trapped.

Across from her, Ky wheezed as his lungs burned against the rain, the distance, and the increased weight of his soaked clothes. Using the Thunderseal as a crutch, he leaned forward, not taking his gaze off of Dizzy.

"She's getting worse..." Undine whispered in the back of his mind.

"Are we too late?" Ky wondered aloud, unsure whether or not he needed to since Dizzy's wings were literally a part of his mind now.

"Not yet, but it's growing worse the more we wait," Necro answered.

"How do we repair the damage?" Ky asked, feeling his strength return as he stood up, making sure his stance would give him the chance to move in case she attacked.

"You have to restrain her long enough to allow us to physically reconnect," Undine answered quickly.

Ky frowned. "You make it sound so easy," he noted with sarcasm.

"It will take everything we have to reconnect and we will be unable to help, of course it won't be easy," Necro shot back somewhat angrily.

Ky took a glance at Dizzy's tail and tried in vain to think of someway to ensure he wouldn't get stabbed by the tip or killed outright by the power she had lost control over. His grip over his sword tightened as he started to grow frustrated with the lack of answers.

At the same instant, Dizzy's snarl grew louder and her teeth bared all the more. Ky noticed this and after a moment, lifted his sword up and said aloud, "Could it be... that this is what she's scared of?"

"Yes," a new voice said behind Ky. The Knight took a quick glance behind him to see Testament stagger and lean against a tree to his left. "The Outrage was made to kill Gears. It screams for our blood whenever we're near it. And the fact that you have killed many Gears with it only makes her all the wary."

His gaze went from the glimmering jewel in the heart of the sword, to Dizzy, and back again when an idea came to mind.

"If I didn't have this, would I be able to get in close?" he asked the Sub-Commander Gear.

The black haired Gear looked at him and Dizzy for a moment before answering, "I don't know, but if getting close to her means you can stop whatever is happening to her, then there may be a chance."

Ky's arm slowly moved back to his side and with a switch of hands, he stabbed the blade into the softened grass. When he made sure it would stay there, he looked up to Dizzy, still in a defensive stance, and then he felt something he had not known in the longest time.

Fear.

Without the Thunderseal in his hand, he felt helpless. Without the blade in his hand, he noticed that it shook uncontrollably. In front of him, there was a young woman trapped inside a wild shell, capable of bringing the entire world to ruin and he could not bring the only object which made him feel safe. However, if there was a chance he could stop the worst of possibilities from happening, he had to take a chance. He not only gave Sir Moroumetz his word to save her, but a part of him wanted to save her, as a way to make up the time he nearly killed her only a few days prior.

Ky felt his breath coming faster, and in hopes to calm himself, he whispered quietly, "Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen."

A desperate prayer. And of all things, the Lord's Prayer. He felt guilty for calling upon God's help when he had been relying on his own strength for so long in search for the truth. He knew the scriptures. 'Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.' So, why was he allowing his foolish pride to prevent him from calling upon the only being which had preserved him for so long when other more worthy people had perished? He had no idea, but the guttural instinct for consolation drove him back to the being which could hopefully bring about the miracle the world needed so much.

He knew that his time could come at any minute and before, he had no qualms, since his faith made him believe that all would be well in the end. Yet, there was always this small part of him that feared to die. Not just before he could find the truth, but to live. He wanted to live, let go of the Crusades and put the past behind him.

He didn't want to die alone.

He didn't want to die.

Did he?

Immediately, he felt an overwhelming calm in his heart and Undine's gentle voice whispered in the back of his mind.

"You're not alone, Sir Kiske. We're here."

He wasn't sure why, but hearing her say that made all the difference in the world as he started to step forward slowly. With each step, he made sure his hands were apart, showing Dizzy that he meant no harm. He kept the prayer in mind as he stepped closer and closer, noting the look in Dizzy's eyes as he approached. She was scared and if she felt cornered, then there was a chance she would attack and without his sword... well, that was a possibility he was not too keen on thinking about.

He forced his face to let go of the fear as he said through the rain, "Luveria... it's me... Ky. I'm not here to hurt you."

Dizzy's frown grew and the growl in her throat got louder as she hunched further away from him.

If he wanted to reach Dizzy, he knew that he had to be honest with her, "Luveria, I was unkind to you when you were put into my care. All you wanted was a friend and I was too proud to show you the kindness you wanted to show me. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

It was another admission. Perhaps the one he needed to say more than the one on the ferry. Perhaps, being with the half-Gear was proving that he was not as content to being alone as he thought initially. She had, inadvertently, become a link to other people that he needed more than he was willing to admit.

Not knowing what else to say, he said through the rain, "Luveria, your family's waiting for you to come back."

The instant the word 'family' came to mind, Dizzy's eyes widened in rage, drew her body back, and launched herself forward, maw opened towards him. In a desperate bid to defend himself, Ky brought his right arm up, only to feel a piercing pain as Dizzy's jaws latched onto his forearm, piercing the skin and digging into his flesh. Turned out her teeth were sharper than he had assumed as he felt the bone begin to crack under the point of her fangs. In addition, he fell backward as her smaller frame tossed him off balance and onto the ground.

Aside from the blow from the soft earth beneath him, he began to panic as he felt both of Dizzy's hands clamp around his neck. With his right hand trapped in Dizzy's maw, his other hand meekly attempted to pull her grip off of his neck. Feeling the pressure in his head grow, he saw the rage, anger, and hate in her eyes as a new voice screamed in the back of his head.

"HuMan! EnEMy! HatE! GeAr! HAtE! HumAN! HATE! ENEMy! HATe! HATE!" the voice which Ky recognized as Dizzy's, roared.

Feeling his breath grown short and his consciousness starting to black out, he realized that she had seen him as an enemy. Then his guilt returned. It was all his fault. And he was going to die because of his short-sightedness. He didn't want her to think of him as her enemy, but the damage had been done.

But... that same calm that he felt before returned as he forced through Dizzy's grip and out of his lips,

"I'm... not...your enemy."

Even through the rain, the deafening thunder above, and the racket from the surrounding environs, she had heard him. Again, her eyes widened, only in a horrid realization of what she was doing. Her grip slackened and she let go his neck and arm.

Ky coughed violently, pulling air back into his lungs, not noticing Undine and Necro move quickly around them and back into Dizzy's body, taking the parasite they had discovered with them. With Dizzy distracted, the guardians were able to reestablish the stability they had always provided. In seconds, the half-Gear soon felt her sanity return and crawled a pace away from Ky as he too pulled himself up, ignoring the bleeding wound in his arm.

On her knees, she looked to him and when the full ramifications of her actions set in, she started to sob. The rain was thick enough to envelop her tears, but her sorrow was still evident to Ky as he balanced himself on his good arm to see her weep.

Ky could only guess as to how much Dizzy knew what had happened. He was at a loss as to what to say to her to give her the comfort she so desperately needed. He was about to tell her that he didn't blame her for her actions, because it was all Justice's doing, but she threw her head back and wailed, "MAMA!"

Ky found his voice gone as the thunder above boomed violently as she continually cried for her mother amid the chaos around her. It broke Ky's heart to see her weep, or anyone else for that matter, because he had seen countless orphans cry for a parent that had been killed by Gears during the Crusades and he felt just as helpless as before...

...because he knew what it was like.

* * *

"MAMA!" an eight year old Ky wailed through the heavy ozone of the remains of his village. There had been a vicious battle, which had left the entire village destroyed with many Gears and men killed.

Only an hour earlier, he had seen the fires from a distant field where he had played, and felt dread well up in his stomach. He ran as fast as he could to where his home was, at the edge of the town and found his house toppled. In desperation, he cried for his mother, hoping that she could hear him. But after a fruitless search, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore as he fell to his knees, holding his fists to his face, trying to wipe away the torrent of tears streaming from his eyes.

"MAMA!" he cried again in the anguish only an eight-year old orphan would know. Falling to his side, curled up on himself and continued to weep. He didn't know what to do, where to go. He was afraid.

Time had passed slowly as the fires of war slowly died down and the sun was beginning to set. He hadn't moved from the patch of earth in front of the remains of his house and had cried himself to exhaustion.

When he couldn't feel the heat of the sun, he looked to the west to see it obstructed by a lone figure. The sun still shone brightly into his eyes, so he couldn't see many features of the newcomer. He could hear the footsteps of the stranger as he or she had knelt in front of him. The only thing he could see from the outline of the stranger was their eyes. They were sad, pained even.

He wanted to stand up, but was too tired to do anything anymore. He didn't know what this person wanted, who they were, or where they came from, but he wanted whoever it was to take him away.

Almost as if the stranger picked up his thought, they reached forward, gathered his small body in its arms, and hefted him against their torso gently, resting his head on a shoulder. The last thing he could remember before falling asleep was feeling the stranger stroke his hair, in attempts to soothe him somehow.

When he had awoke, he was in a Holy Order refugee camp and would soon become a soldier to fight the cause that had taken what little he had, save for the cross which was saved and sent with him by the stranger no doubt.

* * *

He wasn't sure what had driven him to do it, but with his good arm, he crawled forward and pulled the crying Dizzy against him, giving what little comfort he could possibly give in his condition. To his relief, she had wrapped her arms around his shoulders and wept onto his shoulder. She was going to be fine. Though the pain in his other arm was hard to ignore, he brought it up and held her close and as gently as he could.

The rain seemed to calm down and the thunder was now in the far distance as he whispered into her ear quietly, "Do you want to go home?"

She nodded once, sniffing and still clutching onto him like he was the last vestige of the humanity she cherished so.

Knowing that it was time to go, he turned to Testament and asked, "Can you help us get back to Porvoo?"

The taller man nodded, staggered over to Ky and Dizzy, gently placed one of her arms over his shoulders, as Ky did the same to her other arm. By then, she had fallen asleep and would probably not waken for a while. As both men stood up, Testament looked to Ky's injured arm and asked, "What about that arm of yours?"

Ky looked to him and then to his arm and grimaced at the pain still coursing through his veins. "I"ll be fine. Once we get back to Porvoo, we'll be able to get it fixed. Let's take care of her, first."

Testament nodded in agreement, not at all surprised at his behavior.

Within moments, they began their long trek back to town.

* * *

Iliya, appearing more like a vagrant than a resident, leaned against the wall and watched in the general direction of where Ky had left several hours before. He had begged Ky to bring her back and they had been gone for too long. The pain in his ribs had lessened and he was pushing himself up to follow Ky and Luveria before a new voice called him in the distance.

"Sir Moroumetz!" a young boy cried from the path leading to the remains of his house. "What happened?"

Olaf, a young boy of the town that Iliya knew was a friend of Luveria, had looked on in shock.

Not exactly sure how to respond, he said, "Someone attacked my home."

Olaf looked at the wreckage and asked quickly, "Is Luvie alright?"

Iliya figured that his daughter's return was supposed to be secret, but remembered when she had left and since Olaf was always out and about for the town physician, it didn't surprise him to know that the gentle minded boy had met his daughter.

"I don't know. A friend has gone to look for her, but that's all I know."

How could he tell him what had happened only hours before? That Justice had appeared once again to try and kill humanity with power beyond the force of arms? What else could he say?

"I hope she's ok," he said, looking despondent as the first rays of the dawn started to creep over the horizon.

Iliya silently agreed as he looked back to Luveria's route of escape. He gasped when he saw a trio of shadows beginning to emerge from the edge, between the trees. On the right, he saw the soaked and tired Sir Kiske with a bleeding arm, carrying his daughter along with the unmistakable vestige of Testament helping him.

The sun in the east shone like an epiphany to him. When he and Ky met gazes, the latter smiled, giving Iliya the confirmation he needed.

For so long, Iliya had lamented the loss of his only son and to think to lose his only daughter filled him with dread. However, her life was spared. She was going to live. So relieved was Iliya was that he couldn't hold his own sobs back as he fell to his knees, silently giving a prayer of thanks.

End of Chapter 15

Notes:

To all five of you waiting for this, I apologize, but real life happens. But I'm not giving up on this story, never have never will.

This also ends the first arc of the story. The next one will be even more action packed and confusing than the first one! Huzzah!

All things GG belongs to Daisuke Ishiwatari.

The soundtrack, thus far:

Chapter 1 – The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

Chapter 2 – Persophone by Dead Can Dance

Chapter 3 – Open Your Eyes by Sum 41

Chapter 4 – Ancient Lands by Ronan Hardiman

Chapter 5 – Secret World by Peter Gabriel

Chapter 6 – In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

Chapter 7 – Blame by Mike and the Mechanics

Chapter 8 – Still Waiting by Sum 41

Chapter 9 – Rhythm of the Heat by Peter Gabriel

Chapter 10 – Crash and Burn by Savage Garden

Chapter 11 – Running Up that Hill by Within Temptation

Chapter 12 – True Faith by New Order

Chapter 13 - Respect by Erasure

Chapter 14 – Goodnight by Evanescence

Chapter 15 – Mezame by Kajiura Yuki

Chapter 16 – Summoning of the Muse by Dead Can Dance

Not the most GG-like soundtrack, but I felt it sets the mood well enough.


	17. So Slashed and Torn

On the trek back to what remained of Iliya's home, Dizzy repeatedly dropped in and out of consciousness. For minutes at a time, her eyes would flutter open, only to taken in the sensation of being carried by Ky and Testament through the pouring rain. For those few lucid instants, she would shiver, being soaked to the bone. Her Gear blood was naturally resistant to the cold, but having lost a significant amount of blood and without proper time to heal, the cold was beginning to get to her.

By the time she could even voice a protest of her discomfort, her eyes would close and she would drift back into the void of her mind. Waiting for her, would be the specter that was, to her dismay, the woman that had given her birth. The woman that was, in fact, Justice. The scourge of humanity for more than a century.

When she came to, internally, she ignored the void which surrounded herself and Justice, clad in the same robe she had seen during those awful dreams. However, instead of the smirk that usually accompanied the woman's visage, there was a clear sense of anger and frustration.

Dizzy met the woman's frown with one of her own. She was not oblivious to what she had done. Killing the woman in red, nearly killing her father, mentally violating Ky. These stirred the same anger she felt earlier when she saw the woman in red hurting her father, but without the violent edge that was with the previous instant. That violent feeling seemed to coalesce around Justice, and it was strong enough so that it gave Dizzy an eerie sense of Deja Vu.

It was then, it hit Dizzy. Justice had been manipulating her for longer than she had been aware. Those moments of weakness, of fear, uncertainty, loss of control, and hatred. They were simply the result of Justice's meddling, exacerbating the moment, to push her beyond her limits of awareness.

"How could you?" Dizzy whispered heatedly. "My father.. the woman... Ky... how could you do that to them?"

Justice's frown remained static as she answered with a sneer, "I see no need to answer. Besides, aren't you more incensed that I, your own flesh and blood, was trying to subvert your will?"

Dizzy stood her ground, shook her head, and answered as calmly as she could, "No. What I can't stand more is seeing you hurt those I care about. Bad enough you hurt my father... but what you did to Sir Kiske..."

When Justice had taken everything from Ky's memory, the commander Gear was not the only one to be the recipient of the pilfered memories. Dizzy had also gotten much of the holy knight's emotion, memory, and experience. It left a very uneasy feeling in her stomach. She wanted to know of Ky more, like Jam did, but to see those the events of the Crusades take so much from his life was almost as traumatizing as if she experienced it herself.

Justice snorted in derision. "Are you to say that you would protect him? Correct the wrongs that I did to him? He nearly killed you, not a few days prior."

Dizzy clenched her hands and replied evenly, "He's apologized... he's changing... he is not the person you think he is. It will take a while, but I know he will trust me, just like I trust him."

Justice raised an eyebrow. "You trust him?"

Dizzy nodded and continued, "he saved me. When I lost control, I felt everything inside of me was dying. Not only that, if he had done nothing, I know that something terrible would have happened. But, he brought me back."

Justice appeared disgusted, but Dizzy payed her no heed.

"He isn't my enemy. He never was my enemy," she said quietly, but far more resolute than she had ever been before.

The commander gear interrupted, "That's not to say he won't possibly be in the future."

Dizzy was about to reply just as heated, but refrained, stepped back and said calmly, "Perhaps... but, I have a feeling he won't."

Justice pressed, "What makes you so sure?"

As valid as the question was, Dizzy could not properly explain it. She had a feeling about Sir Kiske. It was true that trust was a rare commodity with him, but given time, it could be earned. That much she was certain about.

The half-human Gear looked to Justice, noting the anger, resentment, and wrath in her eyes. Slowly, anger against Justice turned to pity as she said, "I'm not sure you would understand."

Dizzy expected Justice to scoff and belittle her judgment, but to her surprise and shock, Justice began to cackle in her throat. Soon, the cackle grew into a full and frightening guffaw which shook Dizzy's courage. When it seemed that the laughter was dying down, Justice's form changed from a human being to the almost robotic image that struck fear into the heart of humanity.

"No, child. It's *you* who doesn't understand. And you will pay dearly for your lack of vision!" with that, Justice charged her daughter, bringing to bear the same powers that had killed countless people when the Crusades began.

Knowing that she had to defend herself, Dizzy's wings spread, without the consciousness of Undine and Necro to help her. it seemed that if she was to retain control over her own life, she had to face this alone.

* * *

As the rain petered out in the small town of Porvoo-3, the sun's rays gave the central square the serene appearance of a regular small town, despite the horrors that had occurred the night before when the populace was asleep. So quiet was the town, that in the first few hours of the dawn, that five figures, four of which injured, were able to pass through the area without disturbance.

Ky Kiske and Testament, both with their own wounds, struggled to follow the youth, Olaf, to the doctor's house as they tried to keep the unconscious Dizzy from slipping from their grip. Blood seeped from Ky's arm, and from Testaments abdomen. During their trek, Testament had inquired of Ky what had brought her into Ky's care and despite the pain searing through his arm, he had recounted in the simplest terms of the circumstances of her staying in France, in hiding whilst living in his home, and ultimately finding herself with him to destroying the Robo-Ky facilities.

When Ky had ended with their inevitable arrival to Porvoo, Testament looked ahead and whispered, "I never should have let her leave."

Catching his statement, Ky looked to him, slightly irritated at not only the words the sub-commander Gear had used, but the tone in which he used it. It seemed derogatory of him and the Jellyfish for him to imagine that he would fare any better. He was about to speak up when Iliya had said tiredly behind them,

"Whatever her choice was, it was hers to make. Do not think for a moment that she should be faulted because of it."

Testament, having met Iliya in combat in the past, turned to the old soldier and shot back, though equally exhausted, "I am aware of that. However, it still does not erase the fact that she has suffered because she left the grove in the first place."

Iliya frowned back as he replied, "I was in a similar position as you. It angered me when she had to leave because of how simple minded the people of this town was. From time to time, we would be taunted for trying to raise her, just because she was a Gear. However, she was wise enough to know what was best, even if her mother and I didn't like it. If you hold any affection for her, you'd respect her judgment."

Testament was unfazed. "She is still young. She doesn't deserve to be faced with living among humans that would scorn her."

Ky, frustrated, added idly, "That didn't stop her from joining the Jellyfish. They seemed to accept her just fine and it was no fault of her own that she's not with them now." The younger soldier wondered if that was true, but felt he needed that little bit of extra leverage against Testament's argument.

It was no secret to both former Holy Order knights that Testaments scorn for the race he used to belong to was often heard in the battlefield. Though it had seemed that years following Justice's demise had cooled that perspective somewhat, the core of those twisted beliefs still ran true. It bothered Ky to see him act as though Dizzy was never meant to live among humans, just because he thought differently.

The sub-Commander Gear gave him a slightly irritated gaze, but remained silent as they closed in on the boy, who was waiting at the door to the physician of the town.

"Let me," Iliya said, moving forward, "Alexi's a friend of mine and I hope he'll can be trusted with keeping out predicament secret."

"You hope?" Testament said with a raised eyebrow.

Iliya looked back to him and said as a matter of fact, "Yes. We've had our rough spots, but we've still been friends over the years. But it's not that I'm worried about."

Ky asked, curious. "What is it then?"

Iliya gave a knock on the door to the office and said, "It's Testament. During the war, he lost his wife and unborn child during one of his raids. He's never forgotten it."

Testament did not seem to care for Iliya's assessment.

"if you truly believe your 'friend' can help her, then I suggest you tell him to put his preconceptions aside for her sake."

Losing his patience, Iliya turned to him and said with a visible frown, "perhaps if you truly wished to help her, you'd let yourself be unseen for the time being."

Ky could tell Testament was against the idea. He was about to add to Iliya's position that the sooner she'd get help, the better, when the Gear then sighed and said tiredly, "Very Well. I shall remain hidden, but nearby. If you believe she can be helped by this man, then I will comply."

True to his word, Testament's form slowly faded into the shadows between the alleyways of the town, leaving Ky and Iliya to move quickly to aid the woman in their care.

* * *

Bruce never admitted to being a showman, but he had to admit that he outdid himself here. All around him, computers were failing, people were scrambling here and there, try to make sense of the chaos going on. Most of all, they were trying to get a song that had been blaring on all the speakers and computers ever since he uploaded the prepared parasite into the mainframe.

Knowing this was going to be his last day working for the Post-War Administration Bureau, he ran to one of the open doors, peered into to seeing one of his female co-workers, another infiltrator, give him a slightly strained eye roll; not for what he had to do, but his choice of methods in throwing the Bureau into disarray.

He only smiled back, turned to the emergency exit down the hall, and started to walk in time to the song, snapping his fingers and clapping his hands in time to an old seven beat guitar pattern. Throwing caution to the wind, he sang along, terribly, "Why can't we give love, that one more chance?" He then repeated the following refrain, gaining his attention of the guards and soldiers that had been ordered by the managers to root out the cause.

~Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love...~

With his cover blown, Bruce dashed through the door and up the stairs as fast as he could.

~'cause love's such an old fashioned word~

The door burst open, flooding the emergency stairwell with armed soldiers, in pursuit of Bruce.

~and love dares you, to care for the people on the ~

Regardless of the metal stairs and issues of line of sight, the soldiers shot with reckless abandon, trying and failing to hit Bruce, though they came close the close he got to the top floor of the building.

~edge of the Light and love dares you to chance our way of~

Bruce flung himself through the metallic door as more ammunition flew, coming closer and closer to hitting him. He slammed the door shut and made a break for the next step he had prepared for his great escape.

~caring about ourselves. This is our last dance. This is our last dance. This is ourselves~

He looked to the discolored circle at the edge of the roof, then to the violent river below, then back to the gray door that had been kicked open by the guards giving him chase.

~under pressure. Under pressure. Pressure.~

Feeling sassy, he snapped his fingers in time to the beat with a smirk. It was his favorite song, after all, and felt it would be a disservice to the composer if he didn't, regardless of the multitude of soldiers, guns raised and ready to fire aimed at him.

"Alright, Aymond, you better start explaining yourself!" the head of security growled, ready to kill him right then and there.

Bruce's smirk turned into a frown and he snapped back, "Ok, you want an explanation? I quit!" He then gave the head of security a clear view of his middle finger, "And tell the bosses I said 'hi'."

The solider was about to order his men to fire when Bruce leaned backward to plummet to what they would suppose would be his doom. He ran to the edge to see how Bruce would get away when he lost view of his object of pursuit for a moment.

To his surprise, Bruce not only emerged from the river below, but he appeared to have been unscathed from the plummet. It was then he came to a horrid realization as to how badly the Buraeu had been compromised.

He didn't get a chance to finish his thought before the bomb that Bruce had set where he was only a moment before went off, covering the roof of the building in fire, leaving no witnesses as to the manner of Bruce's escape.

Below, Bruce caught his breath and shook off the excess water off of his face. His transportation, hidden well in advance and in preparation of this day, was not in the immediate vicinity and time was short. Despite being soaked to the bone, he picked himself up and began to move at speeds through the forest that most would consider inhuman.

* * *

At first, Dizzy thought herself strong enough to withstand the wrath of Justice's malice, however, it appeared that her mother's hatred held such power that she began to doubt if she could take control of her self again. Justice's will, old and powerful as it was, seemed to overwhelm her and she began to fear that she would be subverted and would continue to commit the atrocities she had done earlier.

The oppressive weight of Justice's malignancy wore at her resistance and felt it wouldn't be long before the inevitable would happen again. However, a comforting presence slowly ebbed its way to her and she heard a still and small voice whisper, "You are not alone. We are here."

Her senses expanded and she suddenly found herself accompanied by a plethora of minds that had assembled to her assistance. All around her, there were lights of varying degrees, shapes, and colors. Each one an individual, yet one in purpose. All were familiar to her, yet, she had never experienced or met anything like this in her short life. The greatest of those minds 'stood' beside Dizzy and said, "Just as you are our strength, we are now yours."

There was an air of familiarity to these ones and she felt welcome amongst them. She searched herself to find where this came from and gasped in realization.

These were the minds of Gears like herself!

Immediately, the lights began to coalesce and gather to her and their power slowly became hers. Feeling Justice's strength redouble its efforts to overcome her, Dizzy steeled her resolve and with the power of the throng, turned the tables against the anger and hate that Justice had used to try and take what was hers.

Unburdened by her fear, Dizzy proclaimed in dignified defiance to the shadow of what was once her tormentor, "I am not you. I am Luveria Moroumetz. I will not live through your hate."

In response, Justice charged, screaming "YOU WILL DIE THEN!"

Unmoved, Dizzy raised her hand and caught Justice as though she weighed no more than a feather. Without contest, her will infused itself into the parasite, destroying it from within. The shade of Justice screamed one final time before oblivion took it and then became silent.

When the chaos settled, a chorus of joy erupted from the collective that had come to her aid. Slightly surprised, she tried to reach one of the individuals that had helped and felt its joy spread to her and soon, she became one in their elation.

For the first time in so long, she no longer felt the shame and fear that normally accompanied herself with regard to her heritage. The celebration, as wonderful as it felt, slowly started to waver as the collective began to fade. She was losing contact with these new minds and she struggled to maintain contact.

"Do not worry," the greatest of the other Gears said with a comforting voice to her as its presence slowly faded last, "if you wish to find us, you will."

* * *

In a darkened room, two individuals sat across from each other on the bare ground, with closed eyes in the attitude of meditation. The only source of light in the room came from the insignia upon both of their foreheads, which bore a striking resemblance to the one which burned upon Dizzy's forehead not too long ago. With a breath of relief, the superior of the two ended her meditation, opened her eyes, adding a gentle red hue to the barely lit room. Not long after, the other opened his eyes, which glowed the same as his superior.

"What now?" he asked quietly.

"Now," the woman said, "we wait. She will seek us out. Bruce will aid her in finding us. Then, we shall see if That Man's words ring true."

Almost apprehensive, the man asked, "Do you really believe what he said? That she's our only hope?"

The woman remained still. She had asked those same questions herself long before she came to know the man sitting across from herself. She wondered if That Man had truly anything to gain from giving them falsehoods, since she had little, if any, reason to trust him.

"I do not know. However, if it is the only thing we have to hold onto, then we may as well. I don't find the alternative very appealing."

* * *

Lyrics Property of Queen


End file.
